Finding My Way
by Rowena Pendragon
Summary: Yuki, daughter of renowned vampire hunter Kaien Cross, has been entrusted with guardianship of Cross Academy along with her adoptive brother, Zero. But when her father decides to open his academy to vampires, Yuki must decide how much she believes in her father's pacifist ideology. Lines are further blurred when a certain dark-haired new student takes an interest in Yuki. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters in _Vampire Knight._ That honor belongs to Matsuri Hino, the author of the manga.

* * *

 **Chapter One**

On Christmas Eve, ten years ago, my world completely shattered.

My mother and I were waiting at the bottom of the valley for my father, who was due to arrive back from a mission. Back then, I didn't understand then what my father did, but I learned that day. In the most painful way imaginable.

I was so excited for my father to return home that I drove my mother crazy by running all over the house. Hoping to burn some of my energy, she suggested we take a walk down the hill to wait for him there. We bundled up, because it was snowing, and trudged down the slope.

When we reached the bottom, my mother suggested that we build a snowman. I promptly started gathering snow to form the base.

My back was to her when it happened. I heard a muffled thud behind me and turned around to see red. Lots of red. All I remember from that moment is red. My mind must have protected me from the gruesome sight. I then heard a voice and then a figure emerging from the red. It taunted me.

"Can I suck your blood, little girl?" asked the vampire who drained the life away from my mother. He leisurely began to head my way, but, before he reached me, another figure suddenly appeared. He lashed out his arm into the vampire's neck and I saw more red burst from the area. The vampire who killed my mother fell to the ground and then vanished. I know now that he disintegrated into ash, but then I knew nothing of vampires and ranks of vampires.

"You are a disgrace to the vampire race," my savior remarked. I looked up into his face. I can't recall his features clearly. I was too focused on his hand, which reached up to his mouth, where his tongue touched the blood on his hand. I could see sharp, long fangs protruding from his mouth as he tasted the blood on his hand. I remember that feeling of sheer horror and terror when I realized that a vampire killed my mother and another vampire killed that one to save me.

Any further interaction was halted by the arrival of my father. He quickly checked the pulse of his wife and then ran to my side, scooping me up into his arms. Drawing on his battle-hardened instincts, he knew how to repress his feelings. He grieved later for my mother, I know, and grieves for her even now. But at the time, you would not know how affected he was.

I remember him saying something and hearing my savior reply in response, but all I can remember is burying my head in his chest, blocking out the pain and the color red. After a couple of moments, I became dimly aware of movement.

My father whispered in my ear, "Yuki, you're safe now. Daddy won't let anyone hurt you."

Despite all that had happened, I felt completely safe in that moment.

* * *

After that day, my father, the legendary vampire hunter Kaien Cross, formally resigned his position as a vampire hunter in the Hunter's Association. That Christmas Eve mission was meant to be his last one before going inactive to begin preparations for creating an academy. But I think that horrible incident really strengthened his resolve to end his career as a hunter. I didn't understand why he was so determined to create this academy, but I tried to be supportive of my father and do as much as I could to help.

Three years later, Cross Academy opened its doors to students. The academy is a boarding school and all the students live in the Sun Dorms, which consist of two separate dormitories for males and females connected in the front by large common area.

I, along with the other students, felt puzzled by the empty Moon Dormitory on the other side of the campus. The common explanation was that the Moon Dorms were there to accommodate new students as the academy grew in numbers.

The dormitories, the headmaster's residence, and the teachers' residences are all separated by a river from the main building, where all the classes are located. I, of course, lived with my father in the headmaster's residence. At eight years of age, I was too young to attend the academy. Instead, my father hired Momoyama to help raise me and tutor me until I would be old enough to attend.

Momoyama was an older woman who used to work at the Hunter's Association with my father. She became more of a grandmother to me than a tutor and my heart was broken when she died last year. But I wasn't alone. I had Zero.

* * *

Four years ago, on another wintery night, I waited by the window, staring at the path and looking for any signs that my father had returned. Even though he had stopped going on missions, he had been called out of our home for an emergency and told me to stay inside no matter what.

Had my mother not been murdered by a vampire, I might have disobeyed and gone outside to look for him. But I knew all too well the terrors lurking in the darkness. I hated being left alone beyond anything. Momoyama was off visiting her children and couldn't make it back because of the storm. I was utterly alone in my house.

It frightened me to be so close to the window, I would have rather been hiding under the covers in my bed or in my closet where I felt safe. But I was eleven years old and too old to cower. So, I kept my determined gaze out the window and into the flurried air.

And then, they appeared. Two shadowy forms making their way slowly up the path. One I recognized as my father and the other, smaller figure I did not recognize. I ran to the door and pulled it open.

My father approached. "Yuki, this is Zero Kiryu," indicating the boy, who I noticed to be about my age with silver hair and lavender eyes. Eyes, I noticed, that were filled with intense anger and pain. "His parents were killed by a bad vampire. He's going to be staying with us from now on." He started to turn away, "I need to take care of things with the authorities. Would you help him get cleaned up?" My father walked back down the path and into the dark.

Quelling the worry rising back up inside of me, I said, "Hello, Zero, the bathroom is upstairs." Zero remained silent. His lavender eyes remained completely blank. I reached for his hand and started to guide him upstairs.

My mind was racing as I escorted this silvery-haired boy upstairs. This boy lost everything to a vampire. I had lost so much, but he had lost everything. My heart ached for him and I resolved that I would take care of him. I looked back at Zero. His eyes had filled with tears, but he blinked hard, refusing to let them fall.

Reaching the bathroom, I let go of his hand and turned the tap, hot water beginning to fill the tub. Zero stood where I left him, unmoving. Not wanting to be rude or disturb him too much, I approached slowly and asked him if I could remove his coat. He did not respond, so I slowly reached my hand to remove the coat he had clutched around his shoulders. I opened his coat and let it fall to the floor. I gasped at the sight. He was covered in blood.

Chasing away my fears at the sight, I retrieved a towel and asked him if I could clean away the blood. No response, but I had already become accustomed to his silence.

I wet my towel and began wiping away the blood. When I reached his neck, I found no wound, to my relief. I feared that the vampire had bitten him, but it seemed that the blood was not his.

I looked up into his face, his eyes were mostly covered by his silver hair, but they still revealed nothing.

"Zero, I'm going to leave you some privacy for your bath. I'll be right outside the door if you need anything." I stared into his eyes, trying to see they would reveal anything. His eyes revealed nothing at all.

I walked to the door, but paused in the doorway. "Zero, remember that you are not alone. You are safe with my father and me. We will keep you safe."

Zero's back was to me, so I couldn't see his reaction. Maybe I imagined it, but I think I saw his head nod a fraction of an inch.

* * *

I shake my head, clearing away past memories, and look over at Zero walking beside me. He has grown even taller since that day and even more attractive. He's a good foot taller than my five feet, which he often likes to tease me about. With his silver hair, pale skin, lavender eyes, and striking features, all the girls at the academy find him extremely handsome. It's hard for me to think of Zero that way though, we've practically grown up as brother and sister. We have a very deep bond, but nothing romantic between us.

Actually, that's not entirely true. Last year, when we were fourteen and had just started at the academy, Zero kissed me. He had pulled away and said that he just wanted to see what it was like. We never discussed it after that, but I think both of us realized that our relationship is familial rather than romantic.

We're heading over to the headmaster's office in the main building. He wants us to meet him there, for some reason, rather than at home. It's hard for me to think of the Sun Dormitories as home, even though I've been living there for the past year.

"What are you thinking about, Yuki?" Zero asks. "You've been abnormally quiet. Not that I mind, but usually you never shut up and I can't hear myself think."

I shoot a glare at Zero, though he did have a point. Zero has always been extremely quiet and reserved. I'm almost positive that I'm his only friend because he's put up such high walls around himself. I know it's to avoid being hurt, but it does make it hard to get to know him. I essentially forced him to be my friend. He's extremely rough around the edges, but overall a good guy.

I drop my gaze and look ahead. "I guess I'm just thinking about how we got here," I reply, which was true, but I don't really feel like going into more detail.

I felt Zero's eyes on me, but I keep my gaze forward. "That's a potentially depressing line of thought," Zero comments. "Any particular reason?"

I shake my head. "Not really. I guess I just realized that I'll be sixteen in a few months, which means that my mother will have been dead over ten years. Ten years just seems like a really long time. I'll have lived over two-thirds of my life without her, but I still feel sad that she isn't here."

Zero seems to ponder this. Finally, he says, "I think I understand. Even though I lived with my family for a longer time than you did, my memories of them feel both really sharp and really distant. But I still love them."

Such a cheerful pair we are.

We stay silent for the rest of the way to the office, both lost in our own thoughts. Once we reach the door, Zero knocks and we hear a cheerful and familiar voice ring out from behind the door, "Come in!"

"Hello, my darling children! How are you this evening? I want both of you to come over tonight for a family dinner. Just like old times! I'm planning a special dish just for you!" My father is kind of an odd duck. He can be perfectly professional and serious when he needs to be, but most of the time he prefers to be the exact opposite.

Zero rolls his eyes. He doesn't like it when my father tries to get Zero to call him "Dad" or "Father" or when my father calls him his son. I know that Zero loves my father, but I suppose that the idea of replacing his own father with mine is too painful.

"What's this about, Headmaster?" I ask, trying to change the subject before Zero starts complaining.

"Yuki! I wish you would stop calling me 'Headmaster' and just call me 'Father!'" he whines. I had begun calling my father "Headmaster" when I started attending the Academy. Dad's a great leader and teacher, but he is so overbearing and smothering sometimes. I hoped that calling him Headmaster would help me fit in better with the other students and not-so-subtly distance him from me a little. It's sort of worked, except he keeps popping up around campus trying to hug me and generally embarrass me.

"I'll call you 'Dad' again once I graduate," I say with a smile. "So, anyway, why have you called us here? Or did you just tell us you wanted to have dinner? You could have done that when you asked us to come."

"No, no. I have someone for you two to meet. We just finalized an agreement for new students to come and live in the Moon Dorms." My father gestures towards the shadowy corner of his office. "Kaname? I'd like for you to meet Yuki and Zero."

From the corner, steps a tall, dark-haired boy, who looks to be about eighteen. He's completely gorgeous. I feel my heart skip a beat and notice a weird sensation in my stomach. This must be what people refer to when they say they get "butterflies" in their stomach.

But then, my father spoke again, "Yuki, Zero, this is Kaname Kuran. He's a vampire."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** So this is definitely an alternate universe from the manga and anime. I'm tweaking various occurrences and making some things happen differently. I want to remain as true to the essences of the characters as possible, but be aware that I'm also changing some things. If you don't like some of my changes, feel free to let me know in a review and I will address them. I love feedback: good and bad! Let me know if you spot any typos or grammar issue and I'll fix them. I tend to notice other people's typos rather than my own.

Also, I've decided against attempting to use the Japanese honorifics. I don't feel confident enough in my abilities to be able to use them correctly. On the same lines, I'm spelling Yuki's name with just one "u" as you've probably noticed. I've seen it both ways and since this is my story, I'm doing just one ;)


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

A vampire? What's my father thinking bringing a vampire here? I take a step back, the butterflies in my stomach replaced with sheer horror.

In a sudden movement from my right, Zero leaps toward the vampire with a fist drawn back. Before Zero can make it to him, the headmaster steps between them. "Stop it, Zero! Kaname is here as my guest and I need you to act rationally."

"Why should I act rationally around a vampire? He's nothing but a beast in human form!" Zero spits out, trying to edge around my father.

A beast in human form? Now that seems a bit harsh to me. Over these past ten years, I've struggled to reconcile myself to the fact that a vampire saved me, even though another killed my mother. My father taught me that there are many different kinds of vampires and, just like humans, not all are bad and not all are good. Still, that doesn't stop me from being wary of vampires or fearing them.

My father raises his hands in front of him in a conciliatory fashion. "Okay, okay, I realize that I probably should have broken the news to you a little better than this."

"You think?!" Zero shouts, red starting to color his face. I have never seen him lose control like this. Sure, he's gotten frustrated with me before, but he's never been so angry. Belatedly, I realize that I've done nothing to contribute to this scene.

I walk over to Zero and put my hand on his arm, "Let's see what the Headmaster has to say. He would never endanger us, so there must be a good reason for _him_ ," I tilt my head towards the vampire, who had remained silent and immobile in the corner, "to be here."

"Thank you, Yuki," my father says, "You truly are my daughter." He looks at Zero questioningly. Zero is staring at me intently. I can see those emotions that I had seen on that first day we met: fear, anger, and even some hatred. That last emotion sent a chill down my spine. I make a mental note to myself to talk to Zero after this.

Finally, Zero nods and looks away.

"Right, would you all sit down?" my father asks, gesturing towards the couches on the right side of the room. He has an enormous office. The desk is located in the far left by the windows, with enough room for a fireplace and couches on the other side.

I comply, sitting down in the spot nearest the door. The vampire slowly moves, probably so as not to agitate Zero again, and sits down diagonally from me, so that he isn't too close. Zero doesn't move.

"I'll stay over here, thanks," he says, moving behind my couch and leans against the wall.

My father looks like he wants to argue, but then apparently decides against it and sits down on the other end of the vampire's couch, facing me.

"Kaname and I have been collaborating now for years on a project that we hope will set our races on the path for peace," I hear Zero scoff behind me, but the headmaster either does not hear him or chooses to ignore that little outburst. "It has been my dream for some time now to run an academy where vampire and human students can coexist peacefully! The embodiment of my pacifist ideals!" His voice begins to rise as it does when he's really passionate about something.

"That's why, Kaname here, who shares my pacifist ideology, will be bringing other receptive vampires with him to this academy! They will inhabit the Moon Dorms and attend classes at night, while the human students attend class during the day. We will have a Night Class and a Day Class!" Somewhere in that speech, my father had stood up and begun pacing around. "For now, the human students cannot know the true identity of the Night Class students. That secret must be protected at all costs."

He stops his pacing and faces towards Zero and me, in turn looking each of us in the eye. "That is where you come in. You two already serve this academy as prefects and help enforce the rules. I'd like to adapt your role and have the two of you to become Guardians of this academy. You will still be known as the Disciplinary Committee, but you will now be looking after both classes in order to keep the peace at this academy."

Guardians? Me and Zero? Sure, Zero can be scary when he wants to be, but I have no idea how I can up to the task. There's no way that I can stand against a vampire.

Zero seems less than thrilled about the idea as well. "Why should I help protect the secret of vampires? I have no interest in involving myself in this ridiculous scheme of yours." Unconsciously, his hand goes up to the tattoo on his neck. The tattoo appeared on his neck the night after he came to stay with us. Some men showed up at our house and put it on him, but I was never told why and nor was I allowed in the room when it happened. It's black and in the shape of a cross, with swords in each corner pointed towards the center. It kind of reminds me of a compass. "I'll just leave here and go somewhere else. I'm not a child anymore who just does what he's told!"

Ouch, I can tell that hurt my father's feelings, but he knows better than to let Zero get to him. "Zero, you are perfectly entitled to leave here. But the Disciplinary Committee is way more than just protecting the vampires' secret. It's also about protecting the human students. I'm going to establish a curfew for all the Day Class students and you're going to enforce it." He glances over at the vampire. "All vampires are very attractive to humans. It's part of their predatory nature. There's good reason to think that the Day Class students will be very interested in these new, attractive students."

The vampire speaks for the first time, "I will personally handle the vampire students and make sure that they never harm any of the humans here." Where had I heard that voice before? Surely, I would have remembered meeting him. I had no time to dwell on this though because the vampire continued talking.

"The vampires I'm bringing in are open to this idea of coexisting and our first project will be to research alternate ways to sustain ourselves." He looked directly at Zero and then at me, "That being said, I am just one person. I cannot possibly watch over all of the vampires at once. No matter how powerful my abilities are. It would be in the human students' best interest to have you two looking out for them and making sure that none of the vampires…stray."

I swallow. "I'm honored to that you might think I can handle such a task, but I know nothing about fighting or how to keep vampires away."

My father considers me. "It's true that you've never been trained to fight, Yuki, but you are one of the most determined and hardworking people I know. You've done a wonderful job as a prefect this year. I trust you to this job completely. And if Zero agrees to help, he and I can teach you a thing or two."

Zero? How would he know how to fight? Even as the thought crossed my mind, I realized that there's still so much I don't know about Zero. He hardly speaks of his past or his family. For the first time, it occurs to me that his family might also have been involved in the Hunter's Association. Which immediately makes me feel rather foolish. Why had I never thought of that? Why else would my father have been called out of his retirement to save Zero? I was once too young to know the truth, but I resolved to find it out soon.

I catch Zero's eye, mentally pleading with him. Even though I don't love the idea of living with vampires, I understand that my father has been working very hard for this moment for years. It obviously means a lot to him and I trust him. "Zero? What do you say?"

Zero looks away from me, staring at the ground deep in thought. Finally, he speaks up. "Okay, I'll agree. But for two reasons: 1) I want to protect the _human_ students here and 2) I can't leave Yuki to do this by herself. That would be unfair to her."

My father leaps into the air, "You both don't know how happy you've made me! I'm so proud of both of you!"

The vampire stands as well. "Zero, Yuki, I am very grateful that you have decided to help," he said formally.

Zero straightened, coming off of the wall. "I'm not doing this for you. Got it? It's for the students and Yuki. And I owe the headmaster as well." He turns his back to the room and quickly walks out of the office.

Wanting to follow Zero, I stand up and say, "Well I'm going to go with Zero. Talk with you more at dinner, Headmaster?"

Not really wanting to wait for a response, I, too, quickly leave the room.

* * *

Kaname stared at the doorway, watching as the door swung shut. This was the first time he had officially met Yuki and had never had the chance to talk to her one-on-one. He gritted his teeth. He had so been looking forward to the chance to finally talk to her in person. She had grown so beautiful, with long brown hair, pale skin, and gorgeous auburn eyes. His heart had pounded with excitement when she had gracefully walked through that door, but she had avoided looking at him ever since Cross had introduced him as a vampire. The look of pure horror and fear on her face had sent ice running through his veins. He wondered if he could really blame her for that. After all, she really should fear vampires. His heart ached at the thought of her hating and fearing him.

But that first instant when they locked eyes, he knew there was a connection. And that gave him hope.

He shook his head. _I'll have plenty of time to talk to her when I'm here as a student_ , he thought.

He turned to Kaien Cross, who was also staring at the door contemplatively.

"I think that went as well as could be expected," he commented to the headmaster.

The headmaster nodded. "I agree. I hope they still want to come to dinner with me this evening. That's why I invited them before I introduced you." He sighed. "Hopefully I can talk more with them about the situation and make them more receptive."

He walked over to the window, "I probably should have tried to break the news better beforehand. I've just been so caught up in preparations and planning that I forgot to tell them."

Kaname nodded. "Well, I suppose it's time for me to take my leave. There's still so much to be done on my end before we can officially enroll."

Kaien shook his hand, "Indeed. There's a lot for the both of us to do."

As Kaname walked towards the door, he heard Kaien say, "Kaname!" he turned to face the headmaster, "I almost forgot. If you find the time, feel free to decorate the Moon Dorm to your taste! I want all of you to feel as at home as possible!" The headmaster was excited again. Nothing kept Cross down for long. Kaname nodded once more and left the office.

* * *

Zero was already at the end of the hall when I emerged from the office.

"Zero! Wait! Please!" I shout. His footsteps slow and then come to a halt. I run to catch up with him.

"Zero," I say, tugging at his sleeve, "Please talk to me. Don't shut me out."

He rounds on me. "How could you agree to go along with this? This is madness. Vampires killed our parents!"

I consider the question, not really sure the best way to answer. I know that I'm on thin ice here with Zero. If I don't tread carefully, I could push him over the edge and never be able to reach him.

Finally, I say, "I trust my father. He's put so much time and energy into this academy. Even before my mother was killed, he already was planning to open this. Now that I know this was his true goal, I think my mother's death strengthened his resolve to complete this." This last thought had just clicked in my mind, but I felt the trueness of the words as I said them. "He always taught me that there's not just one type of human being, just as there's not just one type of vampire." Zero looks away and starts walking down the hall.

I keep pace with him, "Even though this idea scares me to death, I'm willing to try it, for my father's sake. And for my mother's. I know that she wanted this as well." Zero seems to digest this.

We stay quiet for a few more moments, listening to our footsteps as we walk down the empty corridor. It's still the summer holidays. School starts back in a month. Would we be ready to have vampires here in a month?

I remember something Zero said in the headmaster's office. Hesitantly, I ask, "Zero? Do you really think vampires are beasts in human form?"

Zero sighs and keeps his gaze ahead. I began to think that he would just ignore my question, when he spoke. "Yuki, there was a time when I thought vampires weren't bad. I had a teacher who kept trying to tell me that vampires were dangerous, but I insisted that they had good in them. Then one day, my nursemaid attacked me. It turned out she was a vampire. My teacher ran to save me and jumped between us. She took out his eye before he could kill her. And then, just a few years later, my family was brutally murdered by a vampire." He pauses. "In front of my very own eyes. And I could do nothing to stop it," he continues, voice breaking at the end.

Clearing his throat, he says, "So, I guess, Yuki, all of my experiences with vampires have been really bad. They've taught me that they're nothing but beasts in human form. Nothing I've experienced has told me otherwise."

I shiver. Zero made a really good argument. I wonder if he's right. I reach for his hand. "Zero, I'm glad that you're here with me for this. I feel better knowing that I have someone watching my back. And I'll watch yours. Let's protect each other and the other students in this academy."

He stops and turns to look at me. "I promise to protect you no matter what. You're my family now and I won't let anything happen to you." He looks away, "I couldn't bear to lose my family again." I feel tears well up in my eyes. Even though I'm so sad that Zero's family had to die, I'm glad that he's here with me now.

After a moment, I look at my watch. "Seems like we have an hour before we need to meet the headmaster for dinner. Want to teach me a couple of moves?"

Zero nods, "Excellent idea. I can't have my partner unable to protect herself, much less me." Dodging my elbow, he sets off in the direction of the gardens.

* * *

 **Author's Note** : Thank you for reading this far! Again, please let me know what you think. I'm trying to improve my writing skills and style, so I appreciate any and all feedback!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

I'm standing in the gardens waiting for Zero. The Academy will be opening its doors to students tomorrow so Zero and I have planned one last training session in preparation. We've been working out every day, running through drills with our weapons, and pushing ourselves to the limit. We've also been trying to adapt our bodies to run on less sleep. We're going to be patrolling the grounds at night and still expected to attend our classes during the day, with minimal times to sleep in between patrol duties when classes were over.

My limited social life has now been almost eradicated. I wasn't the most popular person anyway, but I'd like to think that I had made some friends. I wonder if they'll still be my friends this year, when I'm never around and then, when I am, I'm telling them to keep away from the beautiful new students or sleeping.

"It's a thankless job," my father had said at the dinner that day when we learned about the Night Class, "But one that must be done. You two are the only ones I trust to do it."

My fingers reach for Artemis, the Hunter's Weapon with which my father had entrusted me, in its holster on my upper thigh. It's the ideal location for the rod because it rests under my skirt, but I can pull it out in an instant when needed. The Artemis Rod is only about a foot long when it's resting, but extends when I wield it into a long staff. My father said that Hunter's Weapons can only hurt vampires. They do no harm to humans, which I find relieving because I don't want to accidentally injure someone.

I look again at my watch. Zero is fifteen minutes late. Again! He has been so reclusive this month and almost always late. I sigh. Will this be what it's like this year? I wonder.

I look around the area once again and then decide to run through my drills with Artemis. I don't notice anyone approaching until he is right behind me. I swing around to come face to face with Kaname Kuran. I drop Artemis in shock. And then, my face flushing, I hastily bend down to pick the rod up. The vampire's hands brush mine as he too puts his hand on the weapon, sending a strange sensation from where our skin met and up my arm. I snatch Artemis away and stand up hastily.

He slowly stands up as well, lifting his hands in front of him soothingly. "Relax, Yuki, I meant no harm. I just wanted to hand Artemis back to you."

I blush again. "Oh, sorry. I guess I'm pretty jumpy." Vampires have heightened senses, including hearing, and I really hope he can't hear how fast my heart is racing. I'm not sure if it's from fear or nervousness. Maybe both.

"That's perfectly understandable, Yuki," he says. His voice sounds so comforting and familiar. Where had I heard it? "You handle Artemis very well. It's clear that you've been practicing in the last month since we met."

He takes a step closer to me. We're about a foot away and his face above mine suddenly seems really close. He says in a quieter voice, "But you should not let people sneak up on you like that. You should be more aware of your surroundings."

My heart is pounding. Why is he so attractive? Was it just because he's a vampire? Or is it because I truly find him attractive?

"I-I'll try to remember that," I say, taking a step back.

"Vampire!" a voice rings out. "What are you doing here? Class doesn't start until tomorrow." I turn and see Zero striding towards us.

Kaname turns and faces Zero. "I'm here ahead of time to see that the transition is as straightforward as possible," he says smoothly. "At nightfall, the rest of the vampires will be moving in to the Moon Dorms so that they can settle in and familiarize themselves with the area."

Zero mutters under his breath, "Probably want to find the best hunting grounds."

Kaname raises his eyebrows at this, but says nothing. "I better be off, Yuki. I need to speak with your father. I hope to see you soon." And with a wave of his hand, he walks off in the direction of the main building.

Zero looks at me. "Why were you talking to him? These vampires are going to be nothing but trouble."

"I disagree, Zero," I say, turning towards him, "Kaname was very friendly with me just now. He seems like he wants to make this work. I think it's best not to antagonize him or the other vampires."

"Oh, so it's Kaname now?" Zero scoffs, "You just think he's hot."

"As if!" I say furiously as my face betrays me by blushing, "It's true that I find him very attractive, but I'm not going to forget who and what he is. Not ever, Zero. His kind killed my mother. It's true that his kind also saved my life, but I know all too well how dangerous they are."

Zero looks slightly abashed. "I'm sorry, Yuki. I don't want to fight with you, but this is really hard for me to have them here. I still haven't gotten used to the idea and we're just expected to let them have the run of the place?"

"But we're not letting them have the run of the place," I counter, "That's why we're here. There are curfews and rules to uphold. They are not allowed to feed on any of the students."

Zero doesn't seem convinced. I add, "Do you remember what my father said at dinner that night?" I close my eyes, remembering his words. We were sitting at the table, eating the strange food my father had prepared for us, and Zero was demanding answers from my father.

He didn't answer immediately, but he turned to face Zero and said, "I want to put an end to the war between humans and vampires; a war that has been continuing in the darkness of history since ancient times! I want the young vampires, with their natural intelligence and unfettered hearts, to become a bridge between the two species! I'm educating them for that purpose! That is why I created the night class."

I open my eyes and see Zero nod once. "I just think he's not facing reality. He's gotten soft. He's not the vampire hunter he used to be."

"Of course he isn't the vampire hunter he used to be! He's grown up. He's been hunting vampires for 200 years and he's tired!" I say.

"200 years?" Zero asks, shocked.

"Yes, 200 years. My father looks to be about thirty, but he's really over 200 years old. He doesn't really know why he ages so slowly, but the scientists at the academy found a high content of vampire blood in his veins. He doesn't have any vampire characteristics, except that his life has been prolonged," I explain.

My father had told me this when we were looking through family photo albums a year or two ago. My mother looked younger in their wedding photo than in the ones from when I was a baby. But my father looked exactly the same in all the pictures. He told me the truth when I asked about it, but he told me that I needed to keep it secret because most people wouldn't react well to the news. Like he really needed to tell me that, a vampire hunter's daughter, but I think he was staying on the safe side. I didn't really mean to reveal his secret to Zero, but I trust Zero and I hope this might help put my father's decision in perspective for him.

"Look, Zero, I don't want you to feel like you have to accept the decision. But I want you to think about it. Okay? Can you try to see both sides?" I plead with him. Sometimes, I feel like I'm always caught in the middle. I have never had a problem seeing both sides of an issue, but I know that's not the case for everyone.

Zero thinks about this for a while and then sighs. "Okay. I'll try."

* * *

My eyes snap awake and I sit up in my bed, gasping for air with cold sweat running down my back. I keep dreaming about that night—that Christmas Eve where my world had inverted on its axis—ever since my father told us vampires would be attending the academy.

Sometimes I dream that Kaname is the one that killed my mother. Other times, I dream that he's the one who saved me. But, whenever I think about it while I'm awake, I remember that he's too tall to be the one who had saved me. The one who saved me was shorter than the murderer. Could he have been the murderer? Probably not. If he were, why would he want to go to school with humans and be forbidden to drink from them?

There are tons of vampires in this world, I remind myself, so it's extremely unlikely he was involved. My imagination was just running wild, as usual.

I walk over to the sink in my room and rinse my face with some cool water, washing away the fear and the remnants of the dream. I look out the window. It's still dark outside, so it must be the middle of the night. There's no way I can go back to sleep now, I'm too jittery from both the nightmare and nerves about the new school year.

My roommate and best friend, Yori, will be moving in later today. I'm so excited about seeing her. The room is so lonely over the summer without her. Even though I love my father and Zero, I crave female companionship and the things that only Yori and I can share. For instance, Yori is the only one who gets excited as I do about the ice cream parlor in town. Zero will go with me, but he never gets excited about things and it's hard to be excited about something when the other doesn't seem to care one way or another.

I sigh. I should probably go back to bed, but there's no way I can fall back asleep now. Maybe I'll take a walk, which might burn some of my restless energy.

Heading over to my closet, I don my school uniform, which consists of a black blazer with white accents, a white collared shirt, a red thin bow in the front, a black pleated skirt, long black socks that go up to my mid thighs, and black boots. The headmaster told me that the Night Class uniforms will be the exact opposite of the Day Class uniforms, with white as the main theme, but the red accent is the same. The males all wear similar suits with red ties. Now that I think about it, the red accent is kind of morbid. Like the color of blood. Maybe it's supposed to be symbolic of the mutual trust agreement.

Almost as an afterthought, I strap on Artemis and grab the white armband that signifies that I'm on the Disciplinary Committee. I'm not entirely sure why I want to have my full gear on, but I suppose I want to have my head in the game and be ready for the big change.

After giving myself a quick glance in the mirror and making sure that everything is in place, I turn and leave my room.

My feet automatically lead me on my portion of the patrol route that Zero and I agreed upon. I will take the east side of campus on the Moon Dorm's side and Zero will take the west. We will meet in the middle every half hour for a status report. Zero insisted that he take the Sun Dorm's side because he thought it would be more dangerous—if the vampires decided to hunt, it would logically be where the people are. We will be staying in the mainland area rather than actually crossing over to the dorms, but the rules of proximity generally apply. Overall, it seemed like a good plan, but we weren't sure how well it would pan out.

Suddenly, Kaname's words from earlier today float in my mind, _Yuki, you should be more aware of your surroundings_. I mentally chastised myself. I had been off in my own little world again and not paying attention to where I was walking. I know these grounds like the back of my hand, but that didn't mean that I should stop paying attention either. Especially, when vampires will be out and about.

I freeze, remembering some other words Kaname had spoken earlier today. He said that he came early because the other vampires would be moving in tonight. My heart starts pounding and fear creeps throughout my body. Oh, why did I come out here alone? This academy is no longer safe at night. I remind myself that I'll be patrolling this same route alone every night. But Zero will be out as well and we'll be checking on each other every thirty minutes. I need to go back to my room. Now.

I turn and start heading back in the direction of the Sun Dorms. I had already come to the point just before the clearing to cross the bridge to the Moon Dorms. Cursing my thoughtlessness, I pick up my pace.

Two tall, male figures step out onto the path. The shorter of the two spoke, "Akatsuki, look! A human. She's just wondering around asking to be bitten." Even though it was dark, the moon offered enough light for me to see their features clearly. The one who spoke had blonde hair and blue eyes. The other had light orange hair and burnt orange eyes.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," I say, trying to sound braver than I feel. "I'm a Guardian on the Disciplinary Committee and I can get you suspended before you even start school."

"Oh, you're on the Disciplinary Committee, huh? I'm quaking in my boots," the same boy says tauntingly.

"You should be," a voice says behind me. I spin around and see Kaname standing a couple steps back from me. Where did he come from? He moves to stand beside me. "Hanabusa, you are to listen to Yuki. I've asked for her help in this matter. I believe I've made clear how important it is for me for all of this to work out."

The boy called Hanabusa pouts, "But all this moving has made me thirsty and she smells so delicious."

To everyone's shock, Kaname quickly strides over to Hanabusa and backhands him across the face. "Hanabusa, you are one of my closest friends and allies, but I will never forgive if you drink Yuki's blood or harm her in any way." Wow, I wonder why Kaname said and did that. Maybe he meant all humans and just said my name since I'm here.

Hanabusa appears as if he wants to argue, but his companion—Akatsuki I think it was?—shoots him a warning look that clearly meant "keep your mouth shut." Reluctantly, I can tell, Hanabusa nods.

"Good. Now, you two should probably go back to your room and settle in," Kaname says. The boys walk back towards Kaname and me in the direction of the Moon Dorm. As they pass by me, I hear Hanabusa mutter, "I don't know what he expects us to do, braid each other's hair?"

I steal a glance at Kaname to see his reaction, but he doesn't seem to be listening. Once the two vampires are out of sight, I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding. Kaname turns and looks at me, his face conveying his disapproval.

"Yuki, what were you thinking being out alone at this time of night? I'm so glad that I was nearby or I don't know what might have happened. This is still new for the others."

I shake my head, "I don't know. I was having trouble sleeping and so I wanted to take a walk. Honestly, I completely forgot that you had said that you all were moving in here tonight. I had just remembered and began heading back when I ran into those two. Hanabusa and Akatsuki was it?"

Kaname studies me for a moment before saying, "I'm sorry you had trouble sleeping, Yuki. But please try to consider your safety better next time," Kaname lays his hand on my arm, sending pleasant shivers up and down my arm, "Now, please let me escort you back to your dorm."

"You don't have to do that, Kaname," I say, but seeing the look on his face, I hastily add, "But I really appreciate the offer." We begin walking back along the path to the Sun Dorm.

We stay silent for several moments, but I break it by asking, "Kaname? May I ask you a question? You don't have to answer it if you don't want to."

A small smile forms on Kaname's lips, which makes my stomach flip over, "Sure, Yuki. You may ask."

"What did you mean by ally when you told Hanabusa that he's one of your closest allies?" I ask.

Kaname sighs. "Yuki, that's very difficult to answer, but I'll explain as best as I can. How much do you know about vampire society?"

I think for a second before answering, "Very little, to be honest. My tutor growing up told me that vampire hunters can only kill vampires who have been placed on the kill list and that the president of the Hunter's Association has to directly give the hunter authorization to hunt a vampire. I know that most of the vampires on that list were those who had lost all of their humanity."

Kaname nods, "That's a good start, but there's certainly a lot more to it. There's actually a hierarchy among vampires, which can be classified into five different levels. There are purebloods, or Level A, vampires at the top of the hierarchy, who actually once used to rule the vampire race as royalty. Now they have given up their authority as rulers and let the Senate govern. The Senate consists of what we call aristocratic or noble vampires, also known as Level B vampires. These vampires have a very low percentage of human blood running through their veins. On the other hand, purebloods have absolutely no trace of human blood in them. Purebloods are still highly respected in the vampire community and most vampires obey the commands of a pureblood." I take it all in, absolutely fascinated.

"To be a pureblood or a noble vampire, you have to be born as one," Kaname continues, "But the lower three levels are ex-human vampires. Humans that have been bitten by a pureblood vampire. When a human is first bitten by a pureblood vampire, they are automatically Level D. If the pureblood who bit the Level D does not allow the new vampire to drink the pureblood's blood, then the Level D will lapse into a Level E and lose all of their humanity. If the Level D does drink the pureblood's blood, then the Level D stabilizes as a normal vampire and becomes a Level C. Essentially, a Level D fights to maintain his or her identity and against the beast within." I start a little at the word beast, remembering Zero's words a month ago.

Kaname glances slightly at me. "To an extent, all vampires have to fight to control their internal blood-thirsty beast, but Level D's have the biggest challenge. If they lose control for an instant, it's usually the end for them and the beast has taken over. That's what the 'E' stands for, the end."

I shiver, wondering if the vampire who killed my mother had been a Level E. Maybe the one who had killed Zero's parents had been a Level E? Kaname certainly gave me a lot to think about.

"I still haven't answered your question, Yuki, but I needed to give you some background before proceeding. Do you still want me to tell you?" Kaname asks.

I think for a moment, not entirely sure I do. What Kaname had just told me about the vampire society is already a lot of information to take in.

"I want to know, Kaname. I want to understand vampires as much as I can," I say.

Kaname pauses, seeming to come to a decision. "Well, Yuki, since we're already at your dorm," I look around, startled, but he's right. I really need to start paying more attention to where I'm going. "How about I tell you at another time? I can come meet you on your patrol when I'm finished with class."

My heart speeds up in anticipation of planned alone time with Kaname, but my voice is quite steady when I say, "Sure, I'd like that."

Kaname faces me, "Well, then good night, Yuki." He gives me a small bow and then turns away, fading away into the night.

"Good night," I say to the darkness and head back into my room, thoughts buzzing with all of the new information I'd received and the thrill of spending alone time with Kaname.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for reading! As always, please review and let me know if you see any errors.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

"Well, Zero," I say, "Today is the big day." We're standing on one of the balconies at the academy, giving us the perfect view to watch the gate to the Sun Dorms and the area around it.

Zero doesn't respond. He seems deep in thought as he scans the grounds from his position, keeping a watchful eye on the move-in process. Classes start in the afternoon today to accommodate the students and teachers moving in.

I really want to ask Zero if he knows about the different levels of vampires. I also want to ask him about his role in the Hunter's Association. But he seems so distant right now and unapproachable that I'm afraid to ask.

"Zero? What are you thinking about?" I ask, determined to try to get him to open up.

Zero doesn't look at me, but responds, "I'm just thinking about the vow I made four years ago when my parents were killed. I vowed to kill all vampires and rid the earth of those beasts. Now, I'm breaking that vow to protect their secret."

Poor Zero. He takes too much on himself. I know that he blames himself for his parents' death.

"Zero? Was your family part of the Hunter's Association?" I ask, hesitantly.

Zero looks at me in surprise, "Yes, of course, Yuki. I thought you know that."

I blush a little, embarrassed, "I guess I should have, but no one ever officially told me. Maybe everyone assumed that someone else had told me. Would you tell me about it, Zero?"

"Sure, Yuki," Zero says. "It's only fair that you know." He turns his head back towards the grounds. "Both of my parents were vampire hunters. The teacher I told you about a while ago? He was training me to become a vampire hunter and follow in my parents' footsteps. That nursemaid who attacked us? She had lapsed into a Level E vampire." So he does know about the vampire levels, but of course he would, if he was trained to be a hunter. "But my teacher wasn't around when _that woman_ killed my family." That's what he always called the vampire who killed his family.

I wait for Zero to keep talking, but he remains quiet. Finally, I say, "It's lucky she wasn't a pureblood vampire or you would have turned into one."

Zero doesn't reply. After a few moments pass, he says, "Yuki, I think I see Sayori over there. I've got this covered if you want to go say hi to her."

Recognizing that Zero wants alone time and also thrilled about the prospect of seeing Yori, I leave without hesitation and run to greet my friend.

* * *

Sitting on my bed and watching Yori unpack, we chat animatedly about each other's summers and speculate about the upcoming year. Yori had gone traveling with her family and they had gotten into quite a few misadventures. As our line of conversation begins moving towards the school year again, a thought seems to cross Yori's mind.

"Yuki, is true that we have new students who will attend class at night?" Yori probes me. "Since you're the headmaster's daughter, you probably know all about it."

I had prepared myself for this kind of question and decided that the best course of action was to feign ignorance. "Actually, I know less than you might think. I just know that the headmaster wants Zero and me to be part of a new Disciplinary Committee and we need to keep the Day Class students out of the way of the Night Class students."

"Keep us out of the way? What like we're paparazzi or something? We're their fellow students," Yori muses.

"Don't ask me, I'm just obeying the wishes of the headmaster," I say. Then I add, struck with an idea, "Maybe they're all the children of government official or especially wealthy and need to be kept separate from us."

Yori nods, pondering the idea. "That's certainly possible," she agrees.

We remain silent for a few moments, each absorbed in our own thoughts. Finally, Yori places a picture frame on her dresser and turns to me, "Well, I'm done! Want to go get lunch before our first class?"

"Yes, please!" I say. We grab our book bags and make our way to the cafeteria.

* * *

"Students, you have your homework. I suggest you begin as soon as possible. Class dismissed." I groan as the final teacher leaves the classroom, leaving everyone else to pack up and begin filing out of the classroom. Conversation bubbles around me as I slowly began assembling my belongings.

"What's wrong, Yuki?" Yori asks concernedly from her seat next to mine.

"We've already got so much homework! And I have to be ready to oversee the Night Class students as they leave their dorms to come to class. I have no idea when I'll get homework done, much less sleep," I say doggedly.

Yori pats my shoulder. "Poor Yuki. I wish I could do something to help." We stand up and climb down the steps to head towards the door. The classroom is set up auditorium style, with rows of desks at varying levels.

Zero appears at my elbow. "Ready to do this thing?"

I shake my head a couple of times, like a dog shaking off water, ridding myself of negative thoughts. "Ready!" I say, with more enthusiasm than I expected.

Yori waves goodbye to me as we emerge into the hall and split off, Yori heading in the opposite direction than Zero and me.

"Someone is excited," Zero comments as we make our way to the Moon Dorms. "Looking forward to seeing your boyfriend?"

I glare at Zero. "I know you're just messing with me, but it's not funny. I could never date a vampire. We're just too different and, plus, there's the whole they've-got-superpowers-and-can-kill-me thing."

"By superpowers, I assume you mean the vampire speed and heightened senses. Did you know that Level A and B vampires have special powers as well? All of the vampires attending are aristocrats or higher. I swiped some of the student files from your father's desk the other day and read up on them. There's one guy, Hanabusa Aido, with ice powers who can summon up ice and freeze whatever he wants. His roommate, Akatsuki Kain, has fire powers and can summon flame at will."

I feel a shiver run down my spine. I had met those two last night. They could very well have killed me without even coming near me.

"Most of the Night Class vampires," Zero continues, "are noble vampires from what I can tell. Granted, I only read some of the files and I had to return them before your father noticed their absence, but our opponents are formidable."

At Zero's final words, I speak up. "Zero, let's try not to think of them as our adversaries. According to the headmaster, they're our allies."

"Look, Yuki. I'm not going to attack any of them or go out of my way to antagonize them, but I'm not going to get all buddy-buddy with them either." This was honestly the best I could hope from Zero.

"That's all I ask, Zero," I say.

We've come into sight of the Moon Dorms. As we approach, we see a crowd of Day Class students.

Zero growls, "Great. Now we've got to deal with these morons."

"That's a great way to describe your classmates," I say sarcastically. "Come on, let's try to get them to leave."

I hastily move to stand in front of the closed gate that leads to the Moon Dorms. Spreading my arms wide, I yell, "It's past your curfew! You need to get back to your dorms."

"What makes you think we have to listen to you?" someone shouts.

"Because," I say exasperatedly, "I'm on the Disciplinary Committee. Do you want to be put in detention on your first day back?"

"Aw, we just want to see these Night Class students!" another person calls.

"Yeah, come on," a different voice says.

"Just this once!" yet another shouts.

A chorus of "pleases" and "come ons" barrage my ears. Zero steps in front of me.

"Don't make me regret this," he says, "But you can stay if you do not get on the path and you keep out of their way." He looks at me and mutters, "I'm going to regret this."

I mutter back, "I wasn't really prepared to deal with this. This is going to be so difficult."

The gate behind me begins creaking open and the Day Class students line up on the edges of each path at attention. Zero and I each take a side blocking the Day Class students from the Night Class students, who begin walking down the path.

"Hello, everyone! It's so great to see all of your charming faces! I'm Hanabusa Aido and it's a pleasure to meet all of you!" I turn my head and see a familiar blonde haired vampire striding down the path, waving to everyone and grinning widely. He turns around and addresses his roommate, "Akatsuki, say hi to the other students."

I hear Akatsuki say, "I will do no such thing."

A girl near me says to her friends, "His name sound like Idol! Let's call him that."

"Great idea!" another says, "And his gorgeous friend should be called Wild because of his orange hair and how he's wearing his uniform shirt all untucked like that."

"He's so rugged and handsome," yet another girl sighs.

I turn my attention back to the vampires walking down the path. There aren't too many of them, I realize. Aside from Hanabusa and Akatsuki, I count three other males and three females. But maybe this is only part of the class. I see Kaname bringing up the rear and my heart skips a beat.

As Kaname walks by me, he says, "Thank you for helping here, Yuki."

"Y-you're welcome," I stammer.

"See you later, Yuki," with a small smile, Kaname turns his gaze forward and continues down the path.

Once the Night Class students are out of eyeshot, Zero and I step back and let the students move freely.

"Everyone needs to go back to the Sun Dorm now!" I shout over the hubbub, "No excuses or exceptions!"

No one argues, too excited by the sight of the new students.

The general sentiment from the male Day Class members seems to be annoyance. "There's no way we can get girls now! They're all obsessed with these handsome Night Class students."

And, just as the male students said, the females are analyzing each Night Class male and comparing them.

Zero approaches me. "I see we have our work cut out for us," he comments.

"Agreed," I say.

Giving the Day Students a few more minutes to get back to the dorms, we then set off in different directions to begin our patrol routes.

* * *

So far, the night has been relatively drama-less. I caught a couple of female students sneaking out to try and snap some photos of Night Class students, but I sent them back before they could get very far.

Zero and I met as arranged every thirty minutes and it seemed pretty calm on his end as well. We just had our second-to-last meeting, so we only have to patrol our route one more time.

I wonder if Kaname will remember that he promised to meet me. Just as the thought crosses my head, he steps out onto the path. I jump, startled, but quickly recover.

"Hello, Yuki," Kaname greets me. "How were your patrols?"

"It's been relatively quiet tonight," I say, approaching Kaname and standing in front of him. We begin walking down the path. "I had to send back a couple of girls trying to sneak out so they could take some pictures of the Night Class students. Something tells me I'll have more issues like this come up. And I highly doubt this will be the last I see of those two girls. They seemed awfully determined."

"I'm sorry you have to deal with this, Yuki. If it were possible, I'd lift this burden from your shoulders," Kaname says, sounding concerned.

"Oh, I'm all right," I assume Kaname. "You have classes to attend while I'm on patrol and vampires to oversee. Incidentally, how did you like your classes?" I'm touched that Kaname is so worried on my behalf, but I also don't really understand his motivations so I turn the subject off of me as soon as possible.

"Your father did well with the hiring," Kaname says, "All of the instructors are very knowledgeable and will help us learn quite a bit as well as help us in our research for alternative ways of sustenance."

"That's so great!" I say. Abruptly, I realize, the conversation had come to an end. We continue down the path in silence for a few moments.

Kaname is the first to speak, "So, Yuki, you wanted to know why I told Hanabusa he's one of my closest allies?"

"Yes," I say, "I want to understand everything about you and the other vampire students."

Kaname chuckles, "So eager. Okay, Yuki, I'll try to help you understand. I believe I told you about the Vampire Senate?"

I nod. "You told me that they're governed by the aristocratic vampires and that pureblood vampires no longer rule."

"Correct," Kaname says, sounding impressed, "Well, pureblood vampires still have a large say in the matter. Many vampires will obey a pureblood vampire with no questions asked. But the Senate doesn't like that. They want to take the power out of pureblood hands. In general, there isn't a problem with this goal, because often times purebloods can be unsympathetic to general vampire society. But the Senate has become corrupt and greedy. Rather than wanting to take the power for the benefit of society, they want the power to use as they see fit."

Kaname looks at me, "Yuki, I am a pureblood vampire."

I freeze, my mind racing. But then, I realize that I'm actually not too surprised. It seems logical that he would be pureblood since he did bring vampires to this academy.

"Yuki?" Kaname asks, noticing me stop. "Is everything okay?"

"Oh! Yes, sorry," I say, catching back up to Kaname. "I was surprised, but then I realized that it makes sense for you to be pureblood. You certainly have more command and authority over the vampire students than a regular dorm president would. Hanabusa and Akatsuki obeyed you, just how you described vampires obeying purebloods."

"Very astute of you, Yuki," Kaname says approvingly, "Well, Hanabusa and Akatsuki, for that matter, have allied themselves with me. Vampires either lean pro-monarchy or pro-Senate. I'm not trying to reestablish the monarchy right now, but I haven't ruled it out if the Senate gets too out of control. The Kuran family has always strived for peace among vampires as well as among vampires and humans. My Kuran ancestor gave up his crown for the betterment of society. But now, the Senate is a danger to peace. That is why, Yuki, I have assembled the youngest generation of aristocrats, in the hope that they will see that peace among humans and vampires is possible. They have come out of respect for my lineage, but not all are convinced this is the best way. I hope in time, that will change."

"I see," I say, not entirely sure what else to say. After a moment, I add, "I think that sounds like as good a plan as any. If vampires are anything like humans in this regard, younger people are more likely to be open to new ideas and so it makes sense to have them come here as students."

"I'm glad you agree, Yuki," Kaname says, "Because some days, I feel so overwhelmed and afraid that I've made a mistake."

"Well, only time will tell if this was a mistake, but you can always now that you did your best," I tell Kaname, "For our sakes, I certainly hope it's not a mistake!" I add with an ironic chuckle.

Kaname laughs wryly, "Agreed, Yuki."

We continue walking down the path. I remember that I still need to figure out why Kaname's voice sounds so familiar. I steal a glance at him. But how could I ask him? I shake my head. This is something I need to discover on my own.

"Yuki?" Kaname stops and rests his hand on my arm. "I sense that your friend, Zero Kiryu, is waiting for you just past this curve along the path. I don't want to cause a disturbance between the two of you, so I'll take my leave here."

It was all I could do to focus on Kaname's words as my senses went into overdrive at his touch on my arm. I look at Kaname and nod, unable to form any words as I gazed into his auburn colored eyes. His eye color is really similar to mine. I've never seen anyone else with eyes our color before.

Kaname takes my hand and holds it in front of him. "Yuki, would it be okay with you if I joined you tomorrow night at the same time? I really enjoyed our conversation."

I begin to nod again, but then realize I should probably actually use my words. "Yes, Kaname," I manage to get out, "I'd like that."

"Then, I'll see you tomorrow, Yuki," Kaname says. Releasing my hand, he gives me a small bow, similar to the previous night, and heads back in the opposite direction.

I watch him disappear into the darkness and, then, I turn and walk towards Zero.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Thanks to everyone who has followed and favorited the story so far! Now, it would make me even happier if you reviewed :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

After just one month at Cross Academy, the Night Class students invented the blood tablet, a substitute for blood that can simply be swallowed or dropped into water to dissolve and consume. Kaname told me a couple nights ago that Takuma Ichijo's grandfather would mass produce the blood tablets for the rest of the vampire community. This was a great accomplishment for the night class and one that helped legitimize Kaname's decision to lead the vampire youth here.

Takuma Ichijo is one of Kaname's closest friends—they almost seem like brothers—and also the Moon Dorm Vice President. So, essentially, Takuma is Kaname's second-in-command.

As I've gotten to know the other vampires, Takuma is one of my favorites. He's very down to earth and approachable, unlike some of the others. All of the female vampires essentially ignore me. One of them in particular, Ruka Souen, seems to hate me, but I have no idea why. The other two, Seiren and Rima Toya, just don't give me the time of day at all. Rima spends all her time with Senri Shiki, Takuma's brooding dark-haired and grey-eyed roommate. According to Kaname, Rima and Senri also work as models. They're both gorgeous and aloof, Rima has light orange hair that she styles in pigtails—that oddly enough work really well on her—and blue eyes. Seiren, from what I have gathered, is Kaname's unofficial bodyguard. She's always with him and seems always ready to protect him. With short, pale violet hair and matching eyes, she's rather intimidating.

As I reflect over these things, I stand on my favorite balcony, which adjoins the window to where the Night Class students study and also provides me with an excellent view of the grounds. It's perfect, because I can make sure the Night Class students are attending class and also can survey the grounds really well.

Zero and I have gotten lax about our patrolling of the grounds. We now just usually keep to the balcony or walk through the grounds. As I predicted, during our training month, Zero has increasingly become more unreliable. What's with him?

I look in the window. I see Kaname's handsome face reading a book. Blushing a little, I look past him towards the other vampires. I see Ruka also looking at Kaname. With her long, wavy toffee colored hair and mocha colored eyes, she's beautiful. I've had a creeping suspicion that she's in love with Kaname, but that in no way explains why she acts the way she does towards me.

Seiren, of course, is sitting right next to Kaname. She never strays far from his side. But I've never gotten the sense that she's romantically interested in Kaname. It must be some sort of duty thing that I just don't understand.

In front of Kaname sits Takuma. Takuma is one of the tallest vampires, just coming a little shorter than Kaname. With light blonde hair that falls attractively over his green eyes, Takuma is a favorite among the Day Class girls.

I sigh. I wonder what the Day Class girls would really think if they knew that the beautiful Night Class students are vampires.

As if on cue, I hear rustling below me and I see the same two girls that have been giving me trouble all month. Ugh, they must be trying to get pictures again. Sighing once more, I hop up onto the balcony's ledge and spot a branch halfway between me and the ground. Even though it's quite a bit lower than me, I jump from the ledge and grab the branch to slow my fall before landing onto the ground. I run in the direction of the girls.

"It's past curfew! You shouldn't be out here!" I yell, annoyed by the girls' determination.

The girls are crouching down, one holding a camera. The one without the camera starts to stand, "What's the big deal—ow!" she cries out and loses her balance.

A chill runs down my spine. "Oh, no! Are you hurt?" I examine her more closely. Crap, she's bleeding. "You need to get back inside right away! It's not safe out here."

Sensing someone behind me, I draw out Artemis and swing it around. Before I can fully finish my swing, a hand stops my movement.

"So scary," Akatsuki says dryly. "The Headmaster has trained you well." Behind Akatsuki stands Hanabusa. Both vampires have similar hairstyles, I notice, messy in an attractive I-just-rolled-out-of-bed way. But I knew how dangerous these two were.

One of the girls behind me cries out, "Oh my gosh! It's Idol and Wild!"

"No way!" says the other girl and I don't even have to turn around to know that they're fangirling behind me. I keep my eyes on Akatsuki and Hanabusa.

"No need for all this fuss," Hanabusa says, moving forward, "We just came out here because we smelled blood. You're so mean, Yuki. You're the real reason we came out here tonight." His eyes glowed red. "Ah…you smell so nice."

"Ah! He said we smell nice!" shriek the girls behind me.

"Listen here, Aido!" I say, "If you lay a finger on one of these girls you'll pay dearly."

Ignoring my words, Hanabusa moves close to me, "Did you hurt yourself, Yuki?" He reaches for my hand and draws it towards his mouth. "Your blood smells so nice." Oh no! I must have done that when I jumped off the building. That's what I get for trying to do stunts like that.

"Did he say blood?" the girls cry out, sounding scared. I hear a thud behind me and assume that they've fainted. I noticed that Akatsuki has turned and faced the school with his hand placed behind his neck, looking uncomfortable.

He pulls my hand closer, "It's so tempting." His fangs appear. Glad that I had trained with Artemis using my left hand as well, I swing it and knock Aido over the head. I'm shocked that worked, to be honest. He must have been really focused on my blood.

Hanabusa seems really annoyed. "Why did you do that, Yuki? I thought we were friends."

"Friends? You've barely spoken to me this whole month and then you try to suck my blood! Excuse me for being a little touchy," I retort. "Now, I need both of you to leave."

Hanabusa looks as if he wants to argue, but Akatsuki places his hand on Hanabusa's shoulder and points somewhere above my head. Hanabusa freezes and then nods. Both head back towards the main building. I spin around and see Seiren place her hands on each girl's forehead, a purple circle of light coming from her hands.

"Yuki? Is everything okay?" Kaname asks, "If it's okay with you, I'll have these girls escorted to the Headmaster's office and their memories wiped."

I nod and say, "Thank you."

Zero steps out from behind the trees. "Well, well, Yuki. Seems like you handled yourself well. I'm surprised, but also pleased. I taught you well."

I roll my eyes. Of course Zero shows up late and then takes all the credit. "Where were you anyway?" I demand.

"Around," Zero says evasively.

I narrow my eyes. "Zero, we need to have a chat and soon, but now is not the time and place for it." I turn back towards Kaname and see that Seiren and the girls are gone.

"Is class over?" I ask Kaname.

"It is now," he replies. "Want to go on our walk?"

"Sure," I say, blushing a little. A couple weeks ago, I had told Zero about how Kaname and I walk together every night. He reacted better than I thought he would, to be honest. I wonder what's gotten into him. He's been so distracted lately. I look at Zero now, he doesn't seem happy about me going off with Kaname, but he also looks resigned.

Kaname and I leave the clearing of trees and begin strolling the grounds. I'm trying to remain somewhat alert, but find myself increasingly distracted by both Kaname's presence and thoughts of what happened tonight.

"That was very dangerous of you, Yuki, to attack a vampire," Kaname comments. I open my mouth, not exactly sure what I want to say, to somehow defend myself, but Kaname continues. "But, I'm glad you did. Aido had no right to try to do that to you."

Kaname stops walking and I turn around to look at him. "Yuki," he says, his voice extremely sad. "I don't know what I would have done if he had actually bitten you or hurt you. I thought I could trust him."

I quickly close the space between us and, my hand almost acting of it's own accord, reaches up and brushes Kaname's hair out of his eyes. "Hey, it's okay," I say softly. Kaname catches my hand and presses my palm into his face; his lips touch my skin and send pleasant tingles up my arm.

"Yuki, you are extremely dear to me. Do you know that?" he said into my palm.

I gasp. Never in a million years would I have expected those words to come out of his mouth.

"I-I don't understand," I say, extremely confused. "Why would I be dear to you at all? I'm just a human. My life is like the life of a butterfly to you."

"Oh, Yuki," Kaname sighs, "There is just so much that you still don't know." On that cryptic note, he releases my hand and turns away, heading back towards the Moon Dorms.

I recover from my shock and shout, "Why don't you tell me then?!"

Kaname looks halfway over his shoulder and says, almost inaudibly, "Some day, I will tell you." And continues onward, disappearing into the night.

* * *

The door to the Moon Dormitories slammed shut behind Kaname as he returned from his walk with Yuki. He was angry. Angry that Aido had tried to drink his Yuki's blood and angry that Kain had stood by and done nothing.

"Akatsuki! Hanabusa!" he called. The two vampires appeared almost instantly. It seemed like they had been waiting for him. The other vampires Kaname that considered to be part of his inner circle were also nearby: Takuma, Senri, Rima, and, of course, Seiren.

"Yes, Lord Kaname?" said Hanabusa.

Kaname didn't answer immediately. "I'm glad you're all here because I want to get something straight," he said, his voice dangerously calm. "None of you are to ever drink the blood of Yuki Cross or harm her in any way. As part of coming to this academy, you gave up drinking human blood. For some of you, your thirst has been quenched until now by sharing your own blood with each other. Now you have the blood tablets."

"Blood tablets are just not satisfying," Hanabusa complained. "And Yuki smelled so delicious."

Kaname glared at Hanabusa, "I realize that Yuki's blood is intensely appealing, but you have no right to her."

"You really care for this human, Lord Kaname," Ruka observed, the hurt creeping into her voice.

"Yuki is absolutely precious to me," Kaname said. "She is the most important person to me."

Ruka turned away and left the room. Akatsuki made to follow her, but Kaname stopped him. "Akatsuki, you are just as liable as Hanabusa for not attempting to stop him. I'm very displeased with you both."

Both vampires bowed, "We're sorry, Lord Kaname."

"Make it your goal to not disappoint me in the future," Kaname said, turning to climb the stairs to his study. He couldn't actually punish them, because nothing had technically happened so he hoped his warning would sink in to his entire inner circle.

* * *

"Ruka!" Akatsuki called to Ruka's retreating figure. She had almost made it to her room by the time Akatsuki caught up to her. She stopped outside of her door, her hand hovering over the doorknob.

"Ruka. Are you okay?" Akatsuki asked, his voice full of concern.

"Not really, Akatsuki," replied Ruka. "I've loved Kaname since we were all children, but he still doesn't even give me the time of day." _That's his loss,_ Akatsuki thought bitterly, _That's why I can never fully trust Kaname. He has my loyalty, but if he ever hurts Ruka, I'm finished with him._

Akatsuki reached out and laid his hand on top of Ruka's, whose hand still hovering above the doorknob, the weight of his hand brought her hand to the top of the knob. "Ruka, I know how much it hurts to have someone you love not return your affections," she looked at him, tears spilling out of her eyes. "It hurts like hell, but we can't help who we love." He brought his other hand up to caress her cheek. As he gazed into her beautiful coffee-colored eyes, he blurted, "Ruka, I will always love you. Even if you spend the rest of your life pining after Kaname." He chuckled a little, "Obviously, I would rather you decide to be with me, but I want to tell you that you will have me forever."

On an impulse, he leaned forward and placed his lips next to her ear, "You will never be alone as long as you have me. I am yours forever to do with what you will." With that, he slowly lowered his hand from her cheek and removed the other from her hand, and walked down the hall to the room he shared with Hanabusa. _Well, at least I told her, once,_ he thought, _I don't know what possessed me to tell her tonight. Maybe it was that lost look in her eyes._

Ruka watched Akatsuki go, her cheek and hand tingling where his hands had been. What had just happened? She shook her head; she was so confused by all the feelings running through her. She pulled open the door to the room she shared with Rima—who was probably out doing who-knows-what with Senri—and entered, falling against the back of the closed door and sliding to the floor. Did she really love Kaname? Or was that just a schoolgirl fantasy?

Was Akatsuki really the one she should be with? Akatsuki? Her best friend since childhood. As members of aristocratic vampire families, his family had been very close to hers. She, Akatsuki, and her cousin, Hanabusa, had been inseparable as children. She smiled slightly as she remembered the countless times Akatsuki had mediated a quarrel between her and Hanabusa. _He still does that,_ she thought _._ Growing up and even now, he always stayed by her side and was always there when she needed him. _Was all that because he's in love with me?_ she wondered. _Akatsuki, in love with me? Have I really been so bind?_

Ruka pressed her face into her thighs, wrapping her arms around her bent legs. Her tears began to fall in earnest as surrendered to her feeling of being completely lost.

After Ruka Souen ran out of tears to cry, she lifted her head, one more thought occurring to her. Her face flushed as she thought about what she would try to do. If Kaname accepted her offer, then she had a chance. If not, then she had some serious reevaluating to do.

* * *

 _A week later._

Once again, Zero is nowhere to be found. I search all over the grounds and then I finally discover him in the stables, lying in the hay by the horse, White Lily. As I get near—but not too close because Lily scares me—I notice that Zero is asleep. He looks so peaceful this way.

I call out softly, "Zero?" His eyes flutter and then open. He looks at me, disgruntled to be woken up, but also resigned. Lily snorted at me and glared at me. Really, who would have thought a horse could be so malicious?

"I suppose you want to lecture me about not showing up to help you keep the Day Class students away from the Night Class ones," he states, getting to his feet and joining me in the entryway.

"Well, yes, there is that," I say leading Zero outside, walking nowhere in particular. "But this is not just a one-time occurrence. You've been increasingly missing in action this whole month. At first you were really on top of things and now you've been gone. I'm worried about you."

Zero seems to be making up his mind about something. Wordlessly, he reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out a container. He hands it to me and I examine it. It doesn't seem to be anything special, just a black box with a red rose design on top.

I look at Zero, puzzled. "It slides open," he says. I do as he told me and gasp. On the inside are blood tablets. I recognize them because my father has been raving about them this past week and between him and Kaname, I've seen them often enough.

"Why do you have blood tablets, Zero?" I ask.

He sighs. "It was a pureblood vampire who attacked my family, Yuki."

I gasp. Pureblood vampires bites will turn humans into Level D vampires. "I thought she bit you?" I ask quietly. "Then why aren't you a vampire?"

He points to his tattoo on his neck. "This mark has kept the vampire within me at bay. But its strength is weakening and I'm unable to control my urges any more. Luckily, this tablet was invented before I attacked anyone. Your father just managed to procure me some a couple of days ago."

"My father knows?" I ask sharply, but then I realize that of course he knows. I start feeling really frustrated. Why hasn't he told me these things himself? First it was all nuances of vampire society. And now, this secret of Zero. I decide that I would go and demand some more answers from my father later.

Zero nods. "He's the one who got the Hunter's Society to perform the binding spell. I don't think he told you because he feels like it's not his secret to tell. And I'm glad. I didn't want you to think of me any differently." He pauses for a moment, "But then, I saw how you handled this whole transition and how you enjoy going on walks with Kaname. I still don't trust that guy, but it made me realize that you would still want to be my friend if I told you the truth."

He looks at me, "Yuki, I'm sorry for abandoning you this past month and even the month before. But I've been trying to stay away so that I don't accidentally attack you or anyone else. But I think I'll be okay for now with these tablets."

"Kaname told me that if a Level D vampire doesn't drink the blood of the vampire who converted him or her, they'll lose all of their humanity," I say worriedly.

"Right, well the Hunter's Association has been looking for _that woman_ for four years and they've had no luck," Zero says matter-of-factly. "So, if she doesn't turn up, then I guess you'll have to kill me."

"Kill you?!" I say in shock. "I could never do that!"

"Yuki, you'll have to. I want you to. Promise me that if I ever lapse into a Level E that you will kill me," Zero looks at me intently. I stare back into his eyes, seeing all of the pain that I'm used to seeing, but also some hope. Hope from the tablets or hope that I'll actually agree to his crazy demand, I'm not really sure.

"I promise," I say, just to make Zero happy, but not sure I mean it. How could I ever kill Zero?

"I can tell you don't mean it," Zero says, turning away and continuing walking. I keep up with him. "But, the day will come and you'll believe me. Level E's really are complete beasts in human form. I still think vampires are to an extent, but Level E's are complete beasts with no humanity."

I'm amazed at how much Zero has matured over the past two months. He went from being an angry teen to someone resigned to his fate. Even though I desperately don't want him to come to that end, I'm impressed by his calm demeanor and readiness to accept the challenges. Maybe my father and I have finally gotten to him.

All in all, my mind is reeling from all of this new information and I know that there is still so much more for me to find out. But for the moment, I'm happy walking with my best friend and brother, Zero.

* * *

 **Author's Note** : Obviously, in this version Zero does not reject the blood tablet. Let me know if you think he's too out of character. He has been somewhat OOC this whole story because I got really annoyed with the emo Zero, so I tried to make him more mature in this version.

Also, I hope you didn't find the scenes with Kaname and the other vampires distracting. I'd like to develop the Ruka/Akatsuki love story more. I ship them so hard!


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

"Zero! We have to go here! The sundaes in this shop are the best!" Without waiting for a response, I tug on Zero's free arm, practically dragging him into the shop. Yori runs ahead of me, opening the door for us and then darts in, grabbing a table. The headmaster sent Zero and I on a delivering errand in the village and Yori decided to tag along so that she could "get some shopping in." I say that because she really just wanted to get a sundae, but we couldn't tell Zero that because he would find a way to avoid coming with us.

"I would rather have gone for some ramen," Zero grumbles, but he comes quietly, to our immense satisfaction and relief.

We order three large sundaes and sit waiting for them to arrive, chatting happily about school. Well, Yori and I chat, Zero just sits with us and seems to only be half-listening. The waitress arrives and sets our sundaes down. Once she places the last one in front of Zero, she looks at him and gasps.

"Are you from the Night Class at Cross Academy?" she asks, lowering the tray so that it rests against her body and is supported by her two hands at the bottom. "You are, aren't you? You don't look like the rest of the students."

Zero grabs the package the headmaster asked us to deliver and stands. "I'm leaving," he says and marches out the door.

Yori and I look at each other. "Oh no," I say. "I'm going to go after him."

"I'll come with you," Yori says, laying down some money on the table. Together, we run out the door after Zero. Except he isn't there. We look around and quickly spot the package discarded on the ground to the left. Wordlessly, we both begin to run, past the package and down the alleyway that Zero probably disappeared into.

"I…wonder…what…happened," Yori yells between breaths as we run. We slow to a walk as we look around the alleyway. No sign of Zero so far.

We turn around a bend in the alleyway and come upon a little boy standing in a courtyard, looking lost.

"Are you all right, little boy?" I ask approaching the boy as Yori followed closely behind me. The child turns around, but the hat on his head shadows his face. "It's going to be okay," I say, reaching my hand out to touch his shoulder. But, before my hand makes it there, he grabs my hand and yanks it towards his face. His face looks up at mine and I see the most inhuman expression on it. _A beast in human form_. His eyes glow red and shine with a look of ferocity and greed. His little mouth grins predatorily and I see fangs extend. A vampire. A Level E vampire to be exact.

Yori screams with horror. "Yori, run!" I shriek, yanking my hand away and wielding my Artemis Rod. "Go! I'll follow you!" Yori takes off down the alley with me hot on her footsteps. Before we can get too far, a woman steps out into the path. Yori wavers and then decides to keep going and yells, "Excuse me!" to the woman.

"Yori, stop!" I cry out. I had suddenly noticed the red gleam of the woman's eyes and her glinting fangs. I silently position Yori against the wall to our left and move to stand in front of her with Artemis at the ready. The vampire woman and child—I assume she's the mother—stand several feet away on either side of us. "Yori, this might not be the best time for you to find out, but these two creatures are vampires. Level E vampires, if I'm not mistaken." I raise Artemis in front of me and yell, sounding braver than I felt, "Come no closer, vampires! I have been trained with this anti-vampire weapon."

Ignoring my words, the woman lunges towards me and I hit her as hard as I can over the head. She falls to the ground and remains there, stunned. I know she won't stay that way for long, but I turn my attention towards the little boy. I don't see him at all, but then I spot movement in my periphery. Before I can do more than hold Artemis in front of me with my two hands, he is crouching on top of Artemis, leering at me. I try to swing him off, but he maintains his grip.

During my efforts to fling the child off of Artemis, I hear a gunshot behind me and Yori yells, "Zero!" Relief floods my body as I realize that I have backup, but I stay focused on fighting the child. Then, oddly enough, I hear a blade withdraw from a sheath. Seconds later, the child has turned to dust, leaving Takuma Ichijo and Senri Shiki standing in front of me. Where did they come from?

"All done," Takuma says, "Thank you, Yuki and Zero for your assistance."

"Why am I even here?" Senri mutters to no one in particular, looking and sounding bored.

Zero comes to stand in front me. "I didn't do it for you," Zero says, irritated.

I nudge Zero to the side. "Why did you guys come here?" I ask. Yori seems okay for the time being, so I'm more interested in discovering what Takuma and Senri are up to. I'm never off Disciplinary Committee duties, after all.

"We were given orders to kill those Level E's," Takuma says. So I was right. They were Level E's. "If you want to know more, come to the Moon Dorm tonight." He and Senri turn to walk away. Takuma says over his shoulder, "I'll leave it to you two to decide the best course of action for this Day Class student." Before any of us can say more, the two vampires vanish.

Immediately, I turn to Yori. "Are you okay?!" Yori looks frightened, but otherwise all right. She nods and replies, "Y-yeah…I think so. But you've got a lot of explaining to do."

"How about we get another round of sundaes? I can explain as much as I know to you over them," I say, deciding to tell Yori everything. She's my best friend, after all, and she's survived a vampire attack. Besides seeing if one of the Night Class vampires would give her a memory wipe, telling her the truth is the best option. I decide that, if she absolutely freaks out, I'll look into getting her memory wiped.

I see Zero trying to sneak away. "Zero! What do you think you're doing?" I demand. "You've got a lot of explaining to do. Why on Earth did you run off like that in the first place?"

Zero looks at Yori for a moment, debating something internally. "I sensed those two vampires when I left the ice cream parlor and decided to investigate. Sorry for abandoning you like that and leading you into this." Seeing Yori's questioning look, Zero adds, "I'll let Yuki explain. Seeing as she's going to tell you everything, I'll let her explain about me as well." He nods at me, granting me permission to share his secret. I smile at him, thankful for his trust in both me and Yori.

Zero escorts us to the ice cream parlor and promises to return as soon as he ran the errand we were supposed to complete in the first place. Yori through the door, but I don't go in right away. I grab Zero's arm before he walks away. "Why did you leave the ice cream parlor in the first place? Was it because the waitress thought that you're in the Night Class?"

Zero nods. "I felt so ashamed. I smell like them, Yuki! Vampires smell appealing to humans. And I don't like it at all."

I pat Zero's shoulder sympathetically. "Well, I for one think you stink like all teenage boys."

"Gee, thanks, Yuki," he says with a shadow of a grin. "You sure know how to cheer a guy up."

"I do what I can," I say, smiling, glad that my joke had help lighten Zero's spirits slightly.

With that, Zero turns and picks up the package from its location, still in front of the parlor, and I go inside to join Yori.

* * *

Zero, Yori, and I approach the Moon Dormitories silently and apprehensively. Zero didn't like the idea of Yori coming along, but she had taken the revelation of the existence of vampires in stride and was determined to come with us. I sided with Yori, saying that if we were in danger, Takuma would not have invited us. As vice president of the Moon Dormitories, he held a good deal of authority over the Night Class vampires and his position indicated that Kaname trusted him to adhere to the pacifist ideals. Perhaps Takuma even shared those ideals. Finally, realizing that it was a losing battle, Zero gave in and decided to stop arguing.

As we enter the gate, we notice Hanabusa and Akatsuki standing in the path, apparently waiting for us. We walk towards them and once we are close, Akatsuki says, "The vice president of our dorm told us to escort you."

"Hey! You said I could greet them," Hanabusa complains, glaring at his roommate. Akatsuki sighs and gestures for Hanabusa to take over. After clearing his throat, Hanabusa bows deeply and somewhat exaggeratedly, and says, "Welcome to the Moon Dormitory. The two of us will be your escorts. Please, after you." He gestures for us to walk ahead of him.

Akatsuki says, "Follow me." Zero walks ahead, with Yori and me following.

Hanabusa comes up beside Yori. "Say, I don't think I've met you before. I would remember meeting someone so lovely."

Yori rolls her eyes at the flattery. "Save it, Aido. You've got all the Night Class girls fawning over you. Frankly, I'm tired of hearing about you."

Hanabusa grips his chest dramatically as if an arrow had pierced his heart, "You hurt me deeply, gorgeous girl. Am I really so irredeemable in your eyes?"

"You have done nothing to prove otherwise," Yori says, sounding entertained in spite of herself. "Maybe you can do something about that."

"How? How can I do that?" Hanabusa has literally gotten onto his knees in front of Yori, stopping our progress. I look over at Akatsuki and Zero. Akatsuki looks both amused and exasperated. Zero looks annoyed, but not angry, to my relief.

Yori neatly steps around Hanabusa and says over her shoulder, "I'm sure you'll think of something."

"Yori!" I say, "Where did all of that snark come from? I'm quite impressed."

"I don't know," she says, sounding a little surprised at herself. "I guess I had just been thinking about what you told me about him and also how all the girls act about him and I just got really annoyed."

"Remind me to never get on your bad side," I say looking over my shoulder at Hanabusa walking behind us, lost in thought.

When I look ahead, I see that we are approaching a turn in the lane. As we round the bend, I gasp. There are dozens of vampires milling around. I don't recognize any of them until we walk down the lane a little bit more and see Ruka, Senri, and Rima standing together looking at us.

As we pass, I hear Senri say, "So, they came."

"But what for?" Rima asks.

Ruka mutters, "And they brought another student with them. What are they thinking?"

We all ignore them. Well, except Akatsuki, who looks at Ruka, but she avoids eye contact with him. He looks at the ground, appearing hurt. I wonder if something happened between them.

My attention is drawn forward by an exclamation. "You came!" Takuma says happily, extending his arms wide. "Welcome to my birthday party! Please enjoy yourselves!"

We all look at each other in shock. "Um, birthday party?" I say. "We came here for some answers, Takuma." Behind Takuma stands a giant buffet table loaded with delicious smelling food, red beverages in champagne glasses, and a giant, multi-level cake.

"Oh," Takuma says sadly. He looks so sad that I find myself saying, "But, happy birthday! I suppose we could have some cake whenever you serve it."

"Yuki," Zero mutters, "What the hell are you thinking? We can't be at a vampire birthday party."

"Oh! Don't worry!" Hanabusa says brightly, "You're our guests. Nothing will happen to you."

"Yes, of course! You are perfectly safe," Takuma says cheerily. "Here take a couple of drinks." He hands Yori and me some yellow punch and he hands Zero a glass of the same substance he and all the other vampires are holding in their hands: dissolved blood tablet water.

"I guess you heard," Zero says dryly, taking his glass.

"Don't worry," Takuma says quietly, "Only Kaname's inner circle knows. Your secret is safe with us." He straightens. "Well, I'll keep my part of the promise. As vampires of the noble class, it is our duty to ensure that Level E vampires don't get out of hand. That's why we went after those Level E's. You did half the job for us though."

A voice comes from Takuma's right. "They were acting on my orders," Kaname says. The vampires around us collectively gasp at his sudden appearance. He's leaning with his arm resting casually against a pillar on a raised dais decorated with a salmon colored loveseat, several candelabras, and an ornate rug. As always, Seiren stands a few meters behind him. I gulp, Kaname is still in his night class uniform, but he's not wearing the tie and his shirt is untucked and unbuttoned halfway down his chest. Wow, he looks so sexy, I think, the words coming unbidden into my head. "I told Takuma and Senri to hunt down those Level E's today. They had been causing some trouble in town and we needed to act." Shifting his weight, Kaname comes off of the pillar and walks to the top of the tops.

"Takuma, Hanabusa, Akatsuki, Yuki, Zero, and Sayori, would you please join me up here?" Kaname asks, beckoning us over.

As we walk towards the steps, I hear Hanabusa behind me say triumphantly to Yori, "So, your name is Sayori, is it?"

Yori sighs. "Yes. Sayori Wakaba." Yori catches up to me. "Did you tell Kaname about me?" she whispers as we begin to climb the steps.

"Um…yes," I admit, blushing a little.

"Takuma told me that there was a Day Class student with Yuki and Zero when he killed that Level E," Kaname says. "I found out from the headmaster that it was you. It seems you've taken the news well." We all move a little farther back into the dais, offering us more privacy from the prying eyes of the other vampires.

"Yes, well, I won't lie and say that it wasn't a shock," Yori replies, "But I had been suspecting that something was fishy about you Night Class students for a while now."

"Yuki told me that you're very intelligent," Kaname observes. "Can I trust you to keep our secret?"

"Yes, I will keep it," Yori says, "I highly doubt anyone would believe me anyway."

"Good," Kaname says. "Would you like to see more of the party? I'd like to talk with Yuki for a little bit. You are, of course, welcome to stay here though."

"I'm actually really interested in the party," Yori says, looking at me with a mischievous glint in her eye that makes me feel rather uncomfortable. "You two enjoy a nice chat," she says with a knowing look at me. I glare at her.

"Excellent," Kaname says. "Akatsuki, Hanabusa, would you kindly guide Yori around the party?" Hanabusa agrees excitedly, while Akatsuki just nods. "Takuma, would you make sure that your guests respect the rules of this academy? I know that you've already talked with them, but now that two humans are here, it's vital that they stick to the plan." Takuma agrees and, with that, the four of them disappear into the crowd, leaving Zero behind. Seiren had, at some point, blended into the shadows, but I knew she was still there.

"What would you have me do, _Lord_ Kaname?" Zero asks, sarcastically adding the "Lord" to Kaname's name. I nudge Zero. "Don't be rude," I say.

"It's quite all right, Yuki," Kaname says. "I sensed that you wanted to have a word with me, Zero, so I just wanted you to have a chance to speak."

He moves and sits down on the loveseat. "Yuki, would you come and sit by me?"

"Um…okay," I say uncomfortably and join him. He puts his around my shoulders and draws me closer. "This is the safest place for you to be," he murmurs into my ear, before giving his attention to Zero.

"So, Zero. What did you want to say?" he asks mildly. How can he be so calm? My heart is racing from being so close to Kaname. Our bodies are inches from actually touching. I'm suddenly overwhelmed with the desire to move in closer, but I definitely don't act on it. He probably is just being friendly.

"Well, what gives you the right to order the other vampires to hunt the Level E's? It's the duty of vampire hunters to kill vampires, not yours," Zero demands.

"It's simple. Vampires who were once humans shouldn't even exist," Zero looks away, resentful of Kaname's words, "You know that I'm right, Zero. Ever since pureblood vampires created other vampires from humans to bolster vampire strength against vampire hunters during the time of the war between us, it has been up to those of us born as vampires to monitor them and dispose of them when they endanger others." As Kaname spoke, he lowered his hand from my shoulder and ran it slowly down my arm, resting it right above my elbow for a few moments and then repeated the motion. I stiffened and looked at the floor, not looking at Kaname. Don't get me wrong, it felt really nice, but I had no idea what to make of it and I was suddenly embarrassed that Zero and Seiren were standing right there.

Zero didn't seem to have a response to that. Finally, he says, "It's still not your job. I'm going to go check on Sayori." With that, he leaves Kaname and me alone on the loveseat. Kaname is still gently moving his hand along my arm. I look at my hands. "What did you mean when you said this is the safest place for me to be? If the party isn't safe, why did you let Yori go into the crowd?"

"Takuma, Akatsuki, and Hanabusa are all looking out for Sayori. She'll be fine, Yuki," he says. Then he reaches out and touches my chin with his free hand, lifting my face to meet his gaze. "I just worry about you. Especially after I heard how close those Level E's were to hurting you." He moves the hand touching my face into my hair and runs his fingers through it. "Yuki, I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you."

Suddenly, I find that I cannot meet his gaze. His eyes were filled with such loneliness that my heart ached for him. But there was also something predatory in his gaze that made me nervous. I wonder, not for the first time, if he wants to drink my blood. Sometimes I consider what that would be like. In general, I find the concept repulsive, but, somehow, the idea doesn't seem as bad when it's Kaname who might drink my blood.

I look into the crowd and see Takuma dancing with Yori, with Hanabusa glaring mutinously at the two of them. I'm relieved that she's safe and having fun. I don't see Zero, so maybe he decided to leave. Kaname and I sit in silence for a few moments, but it's not uncomfortable—just companionable. His hand still traces patterns on my arm and I find it incredibly difficult to think. So, I content myself with people-watching, or rather, vampire-watching.

Ruka, Senri, and Rima still stand away from the main group of vampires. They're always kind of detached from people anyway, so I suppose that they're in good company. Ruka keeps glancing our way. She probably does have a thing for Kaname, I conclude unhappily. Akatsuki stands with Hanabusa, who is still glaring at Takuma and Yori. Several other guests also dance around Takuma and Yori, while many others stand in smaller groups similar to Ruka, Senri, and Rima. Almost everyone holds glasses of dissolved blood tablet water. Well, it's entirely possible that it's another liquid. I probably don't want to know what other liquid it might be, since I don't want to deal with alcohol violations right now.

I notice one pair standing near us. The male lifts his glass to the lips of the female and she drinks from the glass. A little bit of the drink spills from the edge of her mouth and he runs his finger along it and catches the liquid. She grabs his finger and licks it. She then bites down on his finger and starts to drink. I shudder, averting my eyes, both embarrassed by the intimacy and also somewhat repulsed. I chastise myself for being so judgmental. I'm not part of their culture.

I turn to look at Kaname, who has his other arm propped on the edge of the loveseat and his face rests on his fingers. His dark hair falls messily into his eyes, as it always does. He is so beautiful. But also so different from me. He's just from a different world than I am.

As I think that, he turns to look at me. His eyes capture mine and I find myself unable to look away this time. Is he using his pureblood power to do this? Or am I just really caught up in his eyes? I don't know if I care about the reason at this moment. Our faces have moved much closer together, now extremely close. If I moved my head forward, I could kiss him. Kiss him? What am I thinking? Quickly, I turn away, blushing furiously.

"I enjoyed talking with you, Kaname," I say, standing up before I do anything I regret. "I should probably go find Yori. We should get back and get some sleep."

"Of course, Yuki," Kaname says with a small smile. "Good night."

I quickly find Yori and we begin our walk back to our dorm after saying goodnight to Takuma, Akatsuki, and Hanabusa. Hanabusa had looked like he wanted to say something else to Yori, but Akatsuki dragged him off.

"I saw you and Takuma dancing," I comment to Yori. "Anything special about that?"

"Nah, he probably just felt sorry for me because Aido kept harassing me. What's his deal anyway?"

"Seems like he likes you," I say, grinning.

"Well, Kaname seemed really attached to you tonight," Yori says, wiping the smile off my face. "You two seemed rather close."

"Ugh, but Yori, nothing can happen. He's a vampire—a pureblood vampire. If he bit me, I'd turn into a vampire myself."

"Would you turn into a vampire for him?"

* * *

"Lord Kaname?" Ruka asks, approaching Kaname, who lay sprawled on the loveseat in his study.

"Yes, Ruka?" he replied.

"I… wondered if you'd like to drink my blood?" she asked nervously. This was her last idea to find out how he really feels about her. Drinking another vampire's blood demonstrates a level of intimacy and respect in the relationship. Granted, it doesn't necessarily imply anything romantic, but Ruka thought that if Kaname drank her blood, he might be interested in pursuing something more. "You seemed thirsty earlier and these blood tablets are not fitting for a pureblood. I'll gladly give you my blood."

She leaned over Kaname and hovered over him, propping her knee on the loveseat beside him. She moved her hair aside and exposed her slender neck. Kaname grabbed her hand. "Ruka, I am sorry. But I'll have to decline your offer. I'm really quite fine."

"Yes, of course, Lord Kaname," Ruka said dejectedly and quietly left the room.

As she walked down the hall, the tears began to fall down her face. _I guess I'm just not enough for him,_ she thought. _I'll never be enough_.

Ruka walked past Akatsuki's door, suddenly remembering his revelation from several weeks ago. She selfishly wished that he hadn't said anything so that she could have gone to him for comfort. As it was now, she had been avoiding him and he hadn't forced the issue. He had always known her the best and he knew when she needed space. So why wasn't he here for her now?

 _I need you, Akatsuki,_ she thought, as she reached the door to her room. She stopped at the handle, trying to recall the sensation of his touch on her hand and cheek. She shook her hand, trying to clear it. _Why am I thinking about that right now? My heart was just broken. Again._

But, somehow, the pain wasn't as bad as it was a month ago. She had prepared herself for this outcome and, while it still hurt her deeply, she was okay.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I'm trying to get a good bit of this story published this week because I start grad school next week, so I'll have considerably less time to work on my fics.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

"Hey! Are you ready for tomorrow?" one of my classmates calls to her friend.

"Of course! My chocolate is homemade," the girl replies, drawing several more girls over.

"Who are you giving it to?" another girl asks.

"Kaname Kuran," the homemade chocolate girl whispers to the other girls, drawing gasps of respect.

"My chocolates are for Idol!"

"Mine are for Wild!"

"Personally, I find Senri Shiki rather attractive." The girls continue their gossip while Yori and I watch from our desk.

"Everyone is so excited," Yori comments dryly. "I honestly had forgotten all about St. Xocolatl's Day."

"Me too!" I say though that's a lie. I've been thinking about whether I should give Kaname chocolates for weeks now. Ever since Takuma's birthday party, our interactions have really only consisted of greeting each other during the time when the Night Class leaves for class. I excused myself from our walks in order to focus on preparing a strategy for organizing the chocolate giving for St. Xocolatl's. I'm actually quite pleased with my plan, but my avoiding Kaname for two weeks now has to come to an end. He may want to continue our walks once St. Xocolatl's is over. I honestly really did need the space to think things over, but I'm looking forward to spending time with him again. I had been thinking about Yori's question a lot and I needed the time to think about it without him around.

"Ugh! All the chocolates are going to go to those Night Class guys!"

"Yeah, the girls don't care about us at all anymore!"

"Hey, Yori," I ask over the complaints of the guys and the gossiping of the girls, "Are you giving chocolates to anybody?" I kind of wonder if she might like Hanabusa more than she's letting on.

"No, I'm not interested. What about you, Yuki?" she looks at me pointedly.

"Oh! Um, I don't think so," I say, avoiding her eyes.

"Sure," she says. "And you're carrying around a chocolate catalog for fun then?"

"Oh, okay, fine," I reply tiredly, "You got me. I've been thinking about getting some for Kaname, but I don't think I will."

"Why not? You obviously want to," Yori asks.

"I'm just afraid that it would be awkward for us if I did," I say honestly.

"I don't think so. He seems really into you," Yori says.

We're both distracted by an exclamation of one of the guys. "Oh, yeah! We have Zero!"

"Yeah!" other replies, "He's smart, good-looking, and athletic. You're our only hope Zero."

"Get some chocolates for us, huh?"

I turn and look at Zero and recoil in fear. Silence falls as everyone looks at the murderous expression on Zero's face. "Eh, maybe, you should just ignore him," someone says.

Slowly, the conversation moves back towards St. Xocolatl's Day and I turn towards Zero, "Are you really so opposed to getting chocolate?"

"I have better things to worry about than messing with some stupid holiday," Zero replies.

"If this holiday had a Scrooge, it would be Zero," Yori comments to me.

"Let's invent one! He'll be named Zero the Antihero," I say.

"Antihero? Why do you say that?" Yori asks, looking at me skeptically.

"Well, for one thing, it rhymes and, for another, if he's the grump of the holiday, he needs a cool title," I reply, "Plus, if you think about it, Zero is totally an antihero. He's a good guy deep down, but you've got to get past all the roughness."

"Would you two cut that out? You're killing my brain cells," Zero says grumpily, perfectly demonstrating my point. I raise my eyebrows at Yori and she giggles.

* * *

Ruka felt absolutely ridiculous for even considering the idea. But she felt it might be the best way to make amends with Akatsuki. She got up early before anyone else and went into the Moon Dormitory's kitchen. She began to prepare some chocolate, keeping her senses on high alert for any movement within the dorm. She would be mortified if anyone caught her cooking.

As Ruka went through the motions of cooking, she thought about why she was doing this. She still wasn't sure what she wanted to happen, but she knew that she wanted to be close with Akatsuki again. She also knew that, as the days progressed, the pain of Kaname's final rejection was easing. She had begun to find herself watching Akatsuki rather than Kaname. Sometimes he would meet her gaze and she would have to look away, blushing. Was it just because she missed his company? Or was it something more?

She and Akatsuki had stopped spending time together about two months ago. She had offered Kaname her blood two weeks ago. His rejection had not cut her as deeply because she had been able to prepare herself for that outcome. She found that, while it hurt, it did not devastate her as it might have had Akatsuki not confessed the way he felt. And she realized, as she cooked, that she liked the way he made her feel. Especially when he touched her like he had. In that moment, Ruka decided that these chocolates were meant as both an apology and also as a way to express her feelings for him.

Now she just had to figure out how to give them to him.

* * *

"So, St. Xocolatl's Day is tomorrow," the headmaster says to Zero and I as we stand in front of his desk. "Because of all the high energy and excitement, you'll need to be on your highest alertness." Both Zero and I knew what the headmaster was implying. An accident could easily happen in this madness where a student could get bitten. I begin to tell my father about the plan I came up with, but I'm cut off by Zero.

"I don't understand why you didn't just cancel this stupid event," Zero comments. I wonder what's gotten into him. He's been so grumpy lately.

"I can't do that!" the headmaster says, aghast. "The students need this day as a morale boost! Exams are coming up and they need something to look forward to!"

"Hmph. It would be much better if the event were something less ridiculous than this one," Zero mutters darkly.

Wanting to distract them, I hand both Zero and my father a card. "Hey! I have your annual St. Xocolatl's gifts."

"Twenty free neck messages from Yuki!" the headmaster exclaims ecstatically. He does this goofy happy dance around the room.

"A coupon for one free favor," Zero reads, sounding thoroughly unimpressed. "You get this for me every year."

"Yeah, well, you always find something obnoxious for me to do, so I'd say that you enjoy it," I argue back. "Are you guys ready to go have dinner? I'm getting really hungry."

* * *

I'm in the kitchen of the headmaster's residence, after we ate and cleaned up dinner. I have so many memories of this place. I'd often come in here and talk with Momoyama while she cooked. Sometimes, she would let me help her stir or add something to a dish. These were some of my favorite times as a child. I didn't have many people to keep me company, so I loved it when Momoyama was over and would spend time with me other than teaching.

Slowly and deliberately, I chop up a chocolate bar in order to make chocolate balls for Kaname. I wonder if he'll like them? As I think this, a sharp pain shoots up my finger and blood drips onto the chocolate.

"Oh, no!" I yell. "It's ruined!"

But then, I remember that Kaname is a vampire. Maybe it's not ruined after all. Would that be gross to give him chocolate that had blood dripped on it? I guess it would be for the Day Class boys, but a vampire would probably like it. My perspective has to be so different when it involves Kaname Kuran.

Would I want to be a vampire? This question is probably not relevant because I doubt that Kaname thinks of me as a permanent significant other. I've finally come to the realization that he's attracted to me. His actions at Takuma's birthday made it pretty obvious. I blush as I remember his hands running sensually along my arm.

Not for the first time, I wonder what he sees in me. Ruka and even Seiren both seem to really care for Kaname and both women are beautiful. Ruka especially seems to like Kaname romantically, but I feel like Seiren's affections are more platonic though they might change if Kaname took an interest in her. But Rima seems like she only has eyes for Senri. As far as I know, they aren't officially a couple, but they are inseparable.

What do I even know about being a vampire? Virtually nothing. Sure, I understand the basics of their history, but I know nothing of vampire politics and social system. Again, I keep feeling like I'm getting ahead of myself.

Would I be able to drink blood? I know that I could never drink human blood. I've been a human my whole life and I wouldn't want to harm a human. If I were to become a vampire, I'd have to survive on blood tablets. And Kaname's blood. If Kaname were to be my lover, then I'd most likely drink his blood, if my observations at the party are any indication of how lovers interact.

I shake my head, growing suddenly embarrassed and uncomfortable. I really must be falling for Kaname if I'm even considering becoming a vampire. Have I forgotten what happened to my mother? In just a few weeks, it will be the eleventh anniversary of her death by the hands of a vampire. But, again, as I always remind myself, a vampire saved us. If I've learned anything about vampires at this academy, there are good vampires and bad vampires and, well, vampires that are just people. People make mistakes and do both good and bad things. Looking at vampires as good or evil is just simplistic, I've realized.

"There. All done," I say looking at my handiwork. They aren't anywhere close to perfect, but I hope it's the thought that counts. I pull out a few to share with Zero. Maybe getting some chocolate will cheer him up.

* * *

Zero smelled Yuki's blood when she accidentally cut herself with the knife. _She's such a klutz,_ he thought, both annoyed and amused. The appetizing scent reached his nostrils and sent his body into a deep yearning. Even though Zero drank blood tablets, the thirst for actual blood became more and more powerful each day. That is why he'd been trying to avoid spending time with Yuki or any other human.

To Zero, St. Xocolatl's Day was just one more stupid thing he had to deal with. He had no patience for the frivolity of the occasion. Maybe it was because he didn't have feelings for any of his fellow students.

Sometimes he wondered why he cared for Yuki so deeply. Did he care for her in that way? No, he didn't think so. She had become his family when he had nothing. He loved her deeply, but like a sister.

Even so, Zero ran down the hall to escape the delicious scent of Yuki's blood. He didn't want to take any chances that he might lose control. He made it to his room and splashed water on his face in the sink. He then sunk down on the floor and leaned against the wall, placing his head between his knees. _Why can't I control this thirst? It's eating me from the inside_.

Zero was terrified that, one day soon, he would snap.

* * *

I blow my whistle. "All right, listen up! Everyone is to line up behind the gate for the night class student you want to give chocolate to," I shout over the chaos. The girls have gone mad with excitement. "Everything is going to run decently and in order. You will hand chocolate to your guy and then go to the back of the line." I spent most of last night and this afternoon setting up for this event. I'm so relieved that this is almost over.

The gates to the Moon Dormitories open. "Good! You're all here. Night Class boys, please find the gate with your name on it and take the chocolates that the girls offer you." Seeing Hanabusa's mischievous look, I add, "This is very important to the girls, so take this seriously. It is not a game."

"When I blow my whistle, it's time to start," I say and raise the whistle to my lips. I catch Zero's eye. He looks so bored and above all of this. He can be such a party pooper. I blow the whistle.

Hanabusa runs to his gate and the other vampires follow. Takuma reaches his gate and receives his chocolate saying "thank you" or "how thoughtful" or "you're too kind" to each girl. He notices Senri trying to sneak by and grabs his arm saying, "Senri! You've got to accept your chocolates, too," he drags Senri over to his gate, "Look at all the chocolates you have!"

I look over at Akatsuki. He looks resigned more than anything else as he accepts his chocolates. I see that Ruka is watching him receive his gifts. But she looks like she doesn't want anyone else to know she's watching. I wonder if she's no longer interested in Kaname. Speaking of Kaname, I look around for him. He's standing at his gate graciously receiving gifts.

"Oh, thank you! What's your blood type?" I hear Hanabusa ask a girl. I run over there and pull out a red card. "Oh, no, Hanabusa. All you can do is accept the chocolates and any letters or notes these girls have. Nothing else!"

"Fine, Yuki. Say, where's that pretty friend of yours? I hoped she might bring me some chocolate," Hanabusa says, looking around hopefully as if Yori might magically appear.

"Um, she's not interested, I don't think," I say, trying to sound diplomatic while also keeping an eye out for Kaname. I want to hand him the chocolates I brought for him.

"Why not?" Hanabusa presses me. "What can I do?"

"Can we not talk about this right now? Ask me again later," I say, walking towards Kaname. I hear him say, "I'm sorry, but my hands are full. I can't possibly take any more." I stop dead in my tracks. I've missed my chance. Kaname looks over at me and approaches.

"Yuki, do you have anything for me, by chance?" he asks, with a flirtatious smile.

I blush furiously as I wordlessly hand him the wrapped box of chocolates I made.

"Thank you, Yuki," he says, "I will treasure these." He leans closer. "Yours are the only ones I intend to keep," he murmurs.

A thrill of pleasure shoots up my body at his words. He's just made me so happy.

"I'm so glad, Kaname," I say quietly. Before either of us can say anything else, I spot some girls trying to climb over the gate. I sigh and run over to deal with the girls.

* * *

Kaname watched Yuki run away from him. He wanted desperately to keep her by his side and thank her more thoroughly for her gift. The time was coming, he knew, to tell her the truth. Perhaps he would tell her on her birthday next week. But that seemed cruel to have to ruin it like that. Maybe after her birthday, but that would interfere with Christmas and he didn't want to ruin her holiday. He would find a time, that he was certain of. But for now, he watched her as she forcibly pushed the girls down off of the gate. He smiled, she sure was something.

* * *

"Akatsuki?" Ruka asked hesitantly. "Would you mind coming with me?"

Akatsuki was startled, but pleased that Ruka had initiated contact. He followed behind her as she led him from their classroom to the gardens behind the main school building. She stood facing the fountain for a moment before turning to gaze at him.

"Akatsuki, I wanted to give these to you, but I couldn't find a time that seemed right before," she handed him a beautifully wrapped box. "I didn't want to participate in that madness from earlier today."

"Wait…Are these chocolates?" Akatsuki asked, amazed. "You got me chocolates?"

"Actually, I made them for you," Ruka said, blushing, and stepped forward involuntarily.

Akatsuki stepped closer to Ruka so that they were only inches apart. "You made me chocolates?" he asked, sounding a bit dazed. She only nodded and leaned closer. They gazed into the other's eyes, delighted to be together again.

Ruka raised her hand to rest against Akatsuki's face. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I've been such a fool."

"I know," Akatsuki said and brought his lips to meet hers.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:** Shoutout to QuietIntensity and BookWormMissy for reviewing my story! I'd love it if more of you would review as well :) Feedback helps me so much! Also, if you haven't read any of QuietIntensity's stories, you really should. They're excellent.

* * *

 **Chapter Eight**

"Hmm…which card should I pick?" Takuma wondered aloud as he hovered his hand over the two cards Rima held in front of her. "Ah, I'll pick this one."

"Ugh, no fair," grumbled Rima as Takuma selected the correct card.

"You're too easy to read, Rima," Takuma said cheerily.

"Senri, why aren't you playing?" Rima asked, looking over at Senri who lay on the floor reading a manga and munching on cookies. He looked up at her and replied, "I got tired of losing."

"Yeah, but that's why I want you to play!" she whined.

"Maybe when Hanabusa gets back from shopping with his parents, he'll play too," Takuma said soothingly.

The Night Class members were all at one of the Aido vacation homes in the mountains. After a full day of skiing, most of them were relaxing in the living room in the villa. Ruka had found Kaname in the library as she herself had selected the novel she was reading. She had left him to his studies and went to join the others. But she found it incredibly difficult to focus with the banter between Rima and Takuma, and the fact that her eyes kept darting to where Akatsuki knelt by the fireplace, manually lighting the fire. Ruka knew that he could have lit the fire in seconds, but she also knew that he enjoyed lighting fires the normal way. He had always been quite the pyromaniac, even while they were children.

"But Hanabusa is really good at it too," Rima pouted. Rima hated losing and everyone knew it. Many of the other Night Class students liked to challenge Rima to see her competitiveness come out. It broke her usually calm and detached demeanor and drew out this completely different side of her, which they all enjoyed seeing.

"Here, take a cookie," Senri said, offering her one without looking up from his manga.

"Gee, thanks," Rima said sarcastically, but she took the cookie.

"Well, what do you want to do now?" Takuma asked brightly. "Oooh! How about I make some tea for all of you. It's been a while since I've performed a tea ceremony!"

"Yes! Anything other than this stupid game," Rima said, trying not to sound too excited. Takuma was a master at tea ceremonies, which was quite a rare skill to have. Even Lord Kaname loved Takuma's tea.

After Takuma left the room, Senri rose up from his position on the floor and sat down next to Rima. They began talking quietly.

Ruka tried to turn her attention back to her book, but still could not focus. She found herself watching Akatsuki's strong and sure hands as they arranged the firewood and, finally, as they struck the flint, igniting a spark. Quickly, the spark caught the paper he had set at the bottom of the wood and steadily spread to envelope the rest of the wood. Akatsuki slowly rose and looked at the fire with a satisfied expression. He turned and met Ruka's gaze. She felt embarrassed at being caught and felt the heat rise in her face, just as the heat began to emanate from the fireplace. Akatsuki smiled a little at her expression and raised his eyebrows. She nodded and flicked her eyes towards the door to the hallway. He seemed to understand what she meant and quietly exited the room.

After stealing a glance at Senri and Rima, who seemed pretty entranced with each other, she set her book down on the end table beside her and left the room. Akatsuki was waiting for her, leaning against the banister to the staircase. Seized by an impulse, she wordlessly grabbed his hand and pulled him up the stairs. He willingly accompanied her and was surprised to find himself in her bedroom. She closed the door and pulled on his shirt, kissing him.

She pulled back a little and placed her hands on the sides of his face. "Hey," she whispered.

"Hey to you," he said, bringing his lips to hers again. Now that they were a couple, he couldn't get enough of her. They had been together for a few weeks now, but they hadn't had much time to spend together one on one. They had been able to manage a few stolen kisses every now and then, but otherwise their time had been occupied with exam study and vacation activities. They had been at the Aido residence for over a week now, but had been unable to find time alone. That probably was partly because they hadn't told the others yet. They wanted to keep their relationship private while they enjoyed exploring the possibilities of a romantic relationship with each other. After all, they had been friends their whole lives, but not romantically involved. They didn't feel like dealing with Hanabusa's or anyone else's teasing just yet. All the others knew was that they were talking again.

Ruka wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. Akatsuki seemed startled, but he placed his hands on her hips and brought her closer. Her hands found their way into his hair and she ran her fingers through it. She then pulled downward on his hair, bringing his face even closer and gained entry into his mouth. Her tongue explored his mouth, until he brought his to meet hers, beginning a dance between them. After a while, she moved her mouth away from his and ran her lips down his cheek and onto his throat.

"May I?" she asked.

"God, yes," Akatsuki groaned. She lightly licked a spot on his throat before burying her fangs into his neck, pressing him against the wall beside the door. They hadn't done this yet, sharing blood. Never before had anyone's blood tasted so delicious. It drove Ruka crazy with pleasure. She moaned as she drank deeply.

"Ruka," Akatsuki sighed. "Oh, Ruka." His hands ran through her hair as she drank her fill of his blood. He loved the feeling of being the source of such intense pleasure for her. For so long, he had loved and adored her from afar and now she was officially claiming him as her own. Before too long, the thirst for her blood overwhelmed him. "Ruka, my turn," he said as she withdrew from his neck and licked his neck clean.

She nodded and, rotating them so that their positions were switched, he lifted her up and pressed her against the wall with his body. She gasped as she realized that her feet were not touching the ground. The carnal feelings running through her at the sensation drove her senses into hyper drive. He lowered his head to her neck. He gently kissed her throat and then licked the spot before driving his fangs into her neck.

 _Oh, she is delicious_ , Akatsuki thought blissfully as her delicious blood filled his mouth. He could see and feel her pleasure and her deep feelings for him. As he drank, he realized that they had been there all along, but they were misplaced. Even when they first met Kaname, she had hidden behind Akatsuki as she watched Kaname interact with Hanabusa. He had come to apologize Hanabusa for being rude to him, while they were all playing at his house. When Hanabusa rejected Kaname's apology, Ruka couldn't understand why Hanabusa would be so rude to the pureblood prince that she'd heard so much about. Ruka saw Kaname as a prince, but really Akatsuki had been _her_ prince all along. She had gone to him, Akatsuki, for comfort, for protection, and for help over the years. Ruka liked the idea of Kaname and nothing more. Akatsuki saw that now as Ruka opened her soul to him through her blood. He had never been so happy.

Finally, Akatsuki withdrew his fangs and licked away her blood. He pulled back and looked into Ruka's mocha colored eyes. They were at eye level still because his body was keeping her off the ground, pressing her against the wall. He rested his forehead against hers.

"I love you," he whispered. This was the first time he had said those words since his confession to her outside her dorm room.

Ruka looked at him in wonder and fear. She was afraid of taking that big step and admitting her true feelings to him. After all, he had drunk her blood and seen into the depths of her soul. Surely, he knew already. But she had also drunk his blood and knew of his unfailing adoration and also a deep insecurity at having his feelings unreturned. She needed to tell him, to assure him that she felt the same. So, Ruka Souen said four words that terrified her to admit, "I love you, too."

Akatsuki smiled the biggest smile she had ever seen cross his face.

* * *

"Ah! There you guys are," Takuma said brightly as Akatsuki and Ruka entered the room. "I'm ready to perform the tea ceremony. I believe I heard the Aidos return. Would someone invite them to participate if they wish? Also, I think Kaname would enjoy coming as well. He always did love tea ceremonies when we were kids."

Ruka volunteered to inform the Aidos and Akatsuki went to let Kaname know. As Akatsuki entered the library, he encountered Kaname having a serious looking conversation with Seiren, who had been in and out of the villa all week running errands for Kaname. Akatsuki made to leave so as not to disturb them when Kaname spoke. "It's all right Akatsuki, Seiren was just finishing filling me in on her activities. What would you like to tell me?"

"Oh, it's no big deal really," Akatsuki said, feeling a little awkward, "Takuma just requested that I invite you to participate in a tea ceremony he's putting on." Akatsuki felt a bit odd interacting with Kaname after witnessing him through Ruka's eyes while he received some of her memories through her blood.

"Oh? Tell him I'll be there in a few minutes," Kaname replied, "I just have to wrap things up with Seiren."

Akatsuki nodded and closed the library door behind him. He took a deep breath, let it out, and slowly walked back towards the living room. Even though he had felt slightly awkward talking to Kaname just then, he realized that he felt a sense of closure as well. Before, he could never quite trust Kaname because he always knew that he didn't love Ruka back and feared that he would break her heart.

Now that Ruka had confessed her love to Akatsuki, he didn't have to worry about Ruka getting hurt. He would never intentionally hurt her. The only way that would happen was if he did something totally stupid. Which, Akatsuki thought, wasn't far out of the realm of possibility. He could be really dumb sometimes.

But Akatsuki was confident that he wouldn't get tired of Ruka or hurt her for any of the typical reasons men hurt women. He had known Ruka all his life and so he knew how exasperating she could be, but he also knew how wonderful she was. He knew all her quirks and flaws as well as her likes and dislikes. He knew her fears and what made her happy. He just hoped that he could keep her happy for the rest of their lives.

* * *

Trudging through the virtually empty dorm building, I slowly make my way back to my room from a particularly energetic family dinner. Energetic is a word one can generally use to describe my father, but tonight the word was even more apt for him. He prepared this elaborate feast for Zero and me in honor of my birthday and followed it with a strawberry-banana cake. It was actually surprisingly tasty. A lot of times, Dad's food experiments run a little amok, but this time he did quite well.

Zero was actually in a good mood tonight, which is extremely rare lately. I think he's really struggling controlling his vampire nature. His situation is so precarious right now. As a Level D, he can easily lapse into a Level E if he lets his vampire nature overwhelm his humanity. I try to spend as much time as he will let me with him, to show him that I'm there for him, but I'm not sure how much I'm helping.

I sigh. I decide that I'm not going to think of Zero right now. It's my birthday, after all, so I'm going to enjoy it and not think of Zero. Granted, with only the female Dorm President and a few other stray students to keep me company, it's kind of lonely. None of them really like me now that I've become a Guardian of the academy. They resent that I both keep them from the Night Class students and also can be seen talking to the Night Class students. If only they knew the secret behind those beautiful students.

I reach my door and pull it open. I gasp at the sight that meets my eyes. Resting on my nightstand is a bouquet of roses and a small vial containing another, smaller rose. I pick it up, confused, and examine it more closely. It looks like a normal rose, but also different. It's more fragile somehow, more elegant and refined. I look down to see a card resting against the vase. I pick it up and open it.

 _Yuki,_

 _Today is your sixteenth birthday. You've grown into such a mature, beautiful, and capable woman. Yes, you are extremely capable, though you might not think it._

 _This gift is a rose encased in resin. They bloom only every ten years. It's a very rare item and it made me think of you when I saw it. Because you, Yuki, are a rare flower and precious to me._

 _There are many things that I've yet to tell you, but you will come to learn and understand one day. You will also understand why I haven't told you some things._

 _Have a wonderful birthday and holiday, Yuki. Know that you are always in my thoughts._

 _Yours affectionately,_

 _Kaname_

I read and reread Kaname's letter, unable to process the words on the page. How could Kaname say these things to me? Doesn't he realize how different we are? I throw myself on the bed, holding in one hand the vial containing the gorgeous rose and Kaname's letter. What did all of this mean? What did Kaname see in me? I am in no way a proper match for him. He's a pureblood vampire and I'm a human. Even if I became a vampire, I'd be way below his station, not even a noble vampire.

Idly, I look over at the vase and count two-dozen roses. Such a romantic number, I think. I look back at the ceiling. I wish I knew how to feel about all of this.

* * *

Kaname couldn't resist sending a crow familiar to watch Yuki find her gift. He had promised himself that he wouldn't invade her privacy like that, but he couldn't help himself this time. His desire to know how she felt overcame any sense of proprietary. He watched her exclaim in surprise and pleasure as she saw the roses. He had wanted to give her so much more in order to make up for the fifteen years of gifts he wasn't able to give her. But he couldn't do that yet. She still wasn't his.

He thought she liked the rose in resin, but he couldn't be sure because she kept looking at his letter, apparently reading it over and over. Her face showed him that she still doubted his love, or at least the motivation behind it. He supposed that he couldn't blame her for that. She still didn't understand how deeply they were connected.

He remembered that day a little over ten years ago when he had found that rare rose. The people who worked at the park where it bloomed told him that he could not pick it at the time because it would wilt the instant it disconnected from the stem. He was so disappointed. He knew that he could not give it to Yuki himself, but he thought that Kaien Cross could pass it along to her for him. The simple knowledge that she had the rose would be enough for him. At that time, he vowed to have it encased in resin the next time for his dear Yuki. He remembered hoping that he would be able to talk with her at that point. Well, that wish had come true. But now, he was terrified of losing her and even more terrified of what might happen were she to know the truth.

He watched as Yuki fell back on her bed and stared up at her ceiling. The look of vulnerability on her face made him want to use his powers to appear in her room at that instant and comfort her. But he knew that wouldn't be a good idea. He must be patient. But she made it so difficult with all her doubts.

He decided to leave Yuki her privacy for the rest of the night. He contented himself to think about her while he went about his business. On his desk sat a folder containing a transfer request by a Maria Kurenai. _Well, now that is very interesting,_ Kaname thought. _Very interesting indeed._


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note:** Thanks to those who have reviewed so far! Reviews make me so happy-even critical ones! I write these stories not only because I enjoy writing and exploring the characters, but I also want to improve my writing skills. So please review with any thoughts you have!

* * *

 **Chapter Nine**

"Have you heard about the new ethics teacher?" an excited girl asks her friend. School was back in session after the winter holidays. Aside from my birthday gift from Kaname _—_ which I thought about more than I'd care to admit _—_ my vacation was very low key. I spent most of my time with my father either helping him with his paperwork or just being with him. The only times I've managed to see him during the semester were for business, so I'm grateful to have the time to focus on family. Zero popped in sometimes, but often enough he'd seek solitude in the stables or just roam around the campus. I pretty much gave him his space, unable to fully relate with what he's going through. I hope that was the right thing to do.

"Why are we getting a new teacher halfway through the year?" her friend questions, seeming confused.

"I don't know, but I just saw him and he's gorgeous!" the first girl replies happily, with a dreamy expression.

Just then, the classroom door opens and a tall, elegantly dressed dark haired man enters. He has long, dark black hair with a light blue eye visible. He wears an eyepatch over his right eye and generally gives off a tough aura.

He walks slowly into the room, carrying several books and says, "It seems word of my arrival has preceded me." He sets his books down on the desk and looks up to gaze at the other students. "The name is Toga Yagari and I'm going to be your new teacher. Nice to meet you all." Very straightforward, this Toga Yagari is.

Yori whispers to me, "He seems pretty cool for a teacher."

"Yeah, I guess, but…" I begin as I turn to look at her. In my peripheral vision, I see Zero's shocked face. I turn and look at him better. He's even more pale than usual and seems completely stunned. I wonder what's wrong.

"All right," Yagari says, drawing my attention forward, "I'll accept questions instead of doing an introductory speech."

"Professor, are you single?" a bold girl asks.

"I am," he says.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" another asks. I wonder how that's any different than being single.

"You like the personal questions, don't you?" he replies, seeming slightly amused.

People begin shouting out the most random and absurd questions, including "Have you ever seen a UFO?" and "Have you ever been kissed?" The poor man really didn't know what he was getting into when he allowed students to ask questions at random.

The class president, Kaseumi, stands up and yells over the hubbub, "Hey! If you want to ask this man a question then you have to raise your hand first!" He points randomly and energetically around the room as he says this.

A quick hand is raised. Kaseumi says, "Yes?" to the owner of the hand. She stands up. I recognize her as Shindo, a girl with brown hair so light it's almost blonde, who styles her hair in braided pigtails and wears glasses. "That eyepatch you're wearing. Is that the latest fashion trend?"

I hear someone stand up behind me, followed by quick footsteps. I spin my head around and see Zero walk out of the classroom. "Zero…?" I question, but know it's too late. I spin around as I hear the professor speak again.

Silence falls across the classroom for a few moments, everyone wondering how the new teacher would react. Yagari simply stares at the door where Zero had left. Finally, he says, leaning against the chalkboard, "This was the cost I had to pay for saving someone's life."

* * *

Zero could not get out of that classroom fast enough. What was his old mentor doing here? And then, that Shindo girl had to bring up the eyepatch. He leaned against the classroom door, breathing deeply, memories surfacing.

 _Zero walked into the medical center at his elementary school. He actually really liked going there. The doctor who ran the center was beautiful, smart, and funny. She was also engaged to his beloved master, Toga Yagari, who was training Zero to be a vampire hunter, just like his parents and all of their friends in the Hunter's Association._

 _As Zero entered the room, her back was turned to him. "Doctor?" he asked, wanting her to turn around and greet him with that lovely, warm smile of hers._

 _Instead, when she turned around, all Zero could see was a mad glint in her eye and an evil, beastly smile. She leapt for Zero, hands outstretched and curved to form claws with her nails._

 _"Zero! Kill her," Yagari burst through the door, pulling his anti-vampire rifle from its position his back. "She's not the woman she used to be."_

 _Zero just stared at her. "I can't," he said to Yagari. "There's still good in her!"_

 _Yagari shoved Zero aside and stood in front of him. Her claws, intended for Zero, slashed across Yagari's face instead. Blood poured from the wounds to his right cheek and eye, but the injury did not seem to faze him as he lifted his gun and pointed it at his fiancée._

 _"Goodbye, my love," he whispered as he shot her in the head._

 _Sobbing, Zero knelt on the floor beside where her body had disintegrated into ashes._

 _"Master," he pleaded, looking up at Yagari, "I'm so sorry. I couldn't move. You were right. She would never have done that to you if she were still there. She was like a beast!"_

 _Yagari just stared at the place where his love had once stood, with his one remaining eye. He still ignored the blood that seeped from his wounds. They remained silent for a few moments, before Zero spoke again, "Master, I promise that you will never regret losing your eye to-" Zero's voice broke at the last few words, "to save my life."_

Zero opened his eyes to find the headmaster standing in front of him. He hadn't remembered closing his eyes or hearing the headmaster approach. He must have been really lost in his recollection.

"Zero? Are you all right?" the headmaster asked, looking concerned.

"You could have warned me," Zero bit out through gritted teeth.

"I wanted to," the headmaster replied calmly, "But you were hardly around. That's why I came over here to now, to see how you were taking it. I thought that perhaps you might need to leave."

Before Zero could reply, the door behind him opened and Yuki emerged. "Oh! Zero! Father!" the word father slipped out and the headmaster's face lit up at the word. She continued, "I volunteered, as a member of the Disciplinary Committee, to bring you back. But I didn't expect you'd still be out here."

"I can't go back," Zero said. "Not right now."

Yuki looked at her father. He was, after all, the headmaster and the final voice on skipping class.

"Come with me, Zero," he said finally, after reading Zero's face for a moment. "I have a task for you."

He placed his hand on Zero's back and, to Kaien Cross's relief and amazement, Zero did not shrug the hand off. Kaien said over his shoulder, "Why don't you go back to class, Yuki. I've got it from here."

Both Kaien and Zero heard the soft squeak as the door opened and the click as it shut again, signifying that Yuki had returned to class.

* * *

Toga Yagari experienced a flashback of his own when Zero left the class. As he stared at the door where Zero had vacated, he reflected on that fateful occurrence.

 _"She what?!" Yagari exclaimed as he saw the notice from the Hunter's Association. He threw on his signature overcoat, grabbed his rifle, and bolted for the door. He got to the elementary school as fast as he could. How could they have let her escape?_

 _He reached his fiancée's clinic, knowing she would have returned there. Level E's often retreat back to their old haunts, he knew this all too well from experience. It was easier for them to blend in that way and find prey._

 _He burst into the room and saw Zero standing transfixed as the woman he loved leap at his apprentice, going for the kill._

 _"Zero! Kill her," he shouted desperately, "She's not the woman she used to be." At these last words, his heart broke as he finally accepted what had happened to her. He knew then what he had to do._

 _"I can't," Zero replied tearfully, "There's still good in her!"_

 _Zero still believed that all vampires were good. Yagari had been trying to teach him the differences between vampires ever since he first took Zero on as an apprentice. Now, the boy was going to learn the truth the hard way._

 _Roughly, Yagari shoved Zero aside, but not fast enough to avoid the deadly blow from his fiancée. Distantly, Yagari felt her sharp nails rake across his face. He suddenly lost sight in his right eye. This was a serious injury, he knew, but the adrenaline coursing through his veins did not allow him time to feel the pain._

 _He raised his gun to her forehead and aimed. This way, he could look into her eyes one last time. But they weren't her eyes anymore. The beautiful green eyes he so admired were now glinting red from the scent of his blood._

 _"Goodbye, my love," he murmured. Then he shot his fiancée dead. He watched as her ravaged body turned into dust. His eye that could still see was glued to that spot._ Damn purebloods, _he thought,_ and damn the aristocrats for letting her escape and lapse into this state.

 _But even though it broke his heart to kill his fiancée, Toga Yagari was a vampire hunter beyond anything else._

He leaned back against the chalkboard and recalled Zero's promise to him. He hoped that Zero would stand by that promise. Otherwise, Yagari would have to kill his former student. The Hunter's Association had ordered him to do so.

"This was the cost I had to pay," he said to the class, "For saving someone's life."

Yagari hoped beyond anything else that Zero had not given up his humanity yet.

* * *

"I was planning on giving this job to Yuki," the headmaster said to Zero once they were in his office. "But I think you could use the distraction." Kaien Cross sat down at his desk and placed a file on it. "And, I think you might find that you two have a lot in common," he added, handing Zero the file.

Zero opened it and saw the name "Maria Kurenai" written across the top. Under it, Zero read the phrase, "Approved for Transfer" with Kaname Kuran's name signed beside it. A photo of the girl was attached to the file, she had grayish-purple hair _—_ which she styled to have a small bun to the side of her otherwise long and straight hair _—_ with lavender eyes. "She's a vampire?" Zero asked.

"Yes," Kaien said and held his hands up, "And before you protest, I realize how much you dislike vampires. But the two of you may have more in common than you think."

"Why is she transferring so late in the semester?" Zero asked, ignoring Kaien's previous statements.

"I was getting to that," Kaien replied. "She's actually very sickly for a vampire. She comes from a strong, noble line of vampires, but she seems to have an abnormal amount of human blood in her veins." He took off his glasses and began to polish them. "If you listen to the gossip, her mother reportedly had an affair with a human. I would be inclined to believe it's merely gossip, as her parents are both still married, if she weren't so sickly."

"So you're saying that human blood makes her weak?" Zero asked bitterly.

"Not exactly," the headmaster replied, putting his glasses back on. "Many vampires have intermixed with humans over the centuries. Hence the dilution in blood. But sometimes, a being reacts oddly to it. Maria seems to be that way. It seems to have reacted poorly with her system and made her permanently weaker and less energetic than most vampires."

"Interesting," Zero said, meaning it. A vampire who was supposedly weaker intrigued him. He wasn't sure what that meant exactly, but he was interested enough to find out. "So, what do you want me to do?"

"I want you to show her around and make her feel welcome," Kaien said. "She'll be arriving at sundown, so maybe you could come greet her with me."

Zero nodded. "Okay, I'll do that."

"Great, Zero!" the headmaster said excitedly. "I knew I could count on you." He leapt towards Zero with his arms extended, attempting to hug him. Zero quickly sidestepped the headmaster and exited.

* * *

Zero still hasn't shown up to help me keep the Day Class students from stampeding the Night Class students in their excitement to see them after a month apart. With Zero's help, he could have stopped their attempts to climb the walls with a simple glare. For me, no matter how much I use my whistle, shout, or scream, they just aren't going to listen.

From behind my position in front of the gates, I hear the creaking sound of the gates opening. At the sound, the girls. and a few guys, line up into perfect lines like demure angels. Geez, what's with them? Maybe faced with the Night Class's appearance, they have decided to behave like civilized people. I move to my usual side to let the Night Class pass.

"Hello, all! How are my beautiful admirers today?" Hanabusa shouts gleefully. He walks slowly, waving at the lovestruck girls like a beauty queen. I roll my eyes. Hanabusa hasn't changed at all.

"And hello, Yuki!" he says to me, "How are you doing?" Noticing the death glares of the other students directed towards me, he makes it worse by enveloping me into a hug. "And how is your lovely roommate? I'm sad she didn't come here to greet me," he murmured in my ear. To the other girls, it looked like he was whispering sweet nothings in my ear. They all looked simply murderous. I gulp and shove Hanabusa away.

"Are you trying to get me killed?" I demand. "And if you want to see her," I add in an undertone, "You've got to make it happen. She has no interest in parading herself in front of you along with this crowd."

"Ah, I see," Hanabusa says thoughtfully and begins walking down the path, catching up with Akatsuki. "Thanks for the advice, Yuki!" he shouts over his shoulder.

I watch him go, amused, and don't notice Kaname until he stands in front of me. "Hello, Yuki," he says. "Did you have a good holiday?"

"Y-yes! I did!" I say haltingly. "Um, thanks for your gift. It was lovely." I can't look at him when I say that. I'm so embarrassed. He touches my cheek and gently forces me to look at him.

"I'm glad," he says, a hint of a smile touching his lips. Behind me, I hear cries of "No fair!" and "It's always Yuki Cross!"

"Uh-oh," Kaname says, his hand falling from my cheek. My face still tingles from where he touched me. I find myself wishing he hadn't let his had fall. "It seems I've made the other students angry at you." He turns and walks away. "I'll see you later, I hope."

Perhaps he means our walking ritual. "Y-yeah! Me too!" I yell back. I turn around and see all the girls surrounding me with death in their eyes. I'm really wishing for Zero right about now.

Before any of them can act, I squeeze through a small opening and dash for the trees. None of them know the forest nearly as well as I do from my patrols and I lose them fairly easily. Gasping for air, I lean against the trunk of a tree and rest, thinking of Kaname.

Slowly, I lower myself onto the ground and pull my knees into my chest. When did I become such a lovestruck schoolgirl? I bury my face in my knees. I feel so pathetic. I should ask Kaname what his deal is once and for all. Otherwise, I'll just keep wondering and feeling confused. I decide that I'll ask him the next time I see him. Which will likely be tonight for our walk.

* * *

A horse drawn carriage pulled up the driveway and around the circle until it stopped right in front of Kaien and Zero. The footman driving the carriage leaps out and opens the door, extending his hand to help the passenger out. Zero instantly recognized the girl from the photo he saw earlier. _She's tiny_ , he thought, _About the same height as Yuki, but even thinner_. Zero recognized that Maria was beautiful like all the other vampires he'd met, but she also seemed more fragile than the others. Less confident.

"Well, hell-o, Maria!" Kaien greeted her cheerfully, in his bubbly manner. He walked to meet her where she stood in front of the carriage. "Welcome to Cross Academy! I hope you'll come to love it here as much as I do." He ushered her forward to meet Zero. "This is Zero Kiryu. He's going to be your guide around the campus."

"Kiryu-?" she questioned, seeming to recognize the name. With a jolt, Zero noticed she bore a slight resemblance to _that woman_. He bristled.

Maria walked forward and gently rested her palm on his shoulder. "I hope you don't think I'm too forward," she said shyly. "But I just want to say how sorry I am for what happened to your family. Shizuka Hio is a distant relative of mine. In no way is my family affiliated with her actions."

To say that Zero was surprised would be an understatement. "Y-you're sorry?" he said hesitantly.

"Why yes," Maria responded, seeming confused at his surprise. "Surely, you don't think we're all like that?"

"Um…," Zero mumbled.

"Well, now!" Kaien said, coming between the two and clapping his hands together once. "Before Zero can escort you to your dorm, we need to perform the oath-taking ceremony. Come with me to my office." Zero was grateful for the interruption. Kaien could be perceptive when he wanted. Perhaps, he's always perceptive, Zero mused, but he hides it under his bubbly exterior.

As Kaien escorted Maria to his office, Zero directed the footman to the Moon Dormitories so that he could drop off her luggage. After he finished that task, he caught up with Kaien and Maria, just as they entered the office.

The so-called "oath-taking ceremony" was much less formal than it sounded. All the headmaster did was ask her a series of questions, catechism style, to which Maria would respond "yes" or "no" as appropriate. In summary, she swore to never drink the blood of a human while residing at Cross Academy and to do no harm to the students. Zero hadn't seen the other vampires do this, but he knew that they must have. Grudgingly, he respected that the others had stuck to their vows so well.

Once the ceremony was complete, Zero escorted Maria out of the office. The sounds of Kaien's best-wishes echoed in their ears as they walked down the hallway.

"Would you like to go join the other students in class after our tour?" Zero asked.

"Um…maybe. I feel really nervous all of a sudden," Maria replied, sounding a little scared. "I've never been to a school before and haven't interacted much with people my own age."

Zero nodded. "The Headmaster told me about your condition," he said. "What brings you here now?"

"I heard about this school when Lord Kaname announced it," Maria replied. "But it took me all last semester to convince my parents to let me go. Once the blood tablets were released, I begged that, if the tablets sated my thirst, they would let me go to the academy. Well, after using only the tablets for just over three months, my parents grudgingly let me come."

"Why didn't they want you to come?" Zero questioned.

"Well, they don't agree with the Kurans and the idea of coexisting with humans," she said. "But I find it intriguing. I've never met a human before today and I wanted to see with my own eyes what they're like. I just got so sick of being sheltered!" Her voice rose at her last sentence. "If I'm going to be sick and frail, then I'd rather see the world instead of being cooped up. Maybe that will cut my life shorter, but I'd rather have a shorter, fuller life than a long and miserable one."

Despite himself, Zero found that he respected this tiny girl and her determination. "Well, I think this academy is the perfect start. Nothing you do here will be too strenuous. And then, once you graduate, you can travel and discover new opportunities."

She turned to him, her eyes moist. "You really think so?"

"I know so," he said, smiling a rare smile.

* * *

"Hello, Yuki," Kaname says from behind me. I'm standing concealed behind some trees near the gate to the Moon Dorm. I know that vampires can smell me and sense my presence, but my position gives them the ability to ignore me and pretend I'm not there. I turn around and face Kaname. My resolve to discover the truth weakens at the sight of his handsome features, but I tell myself to be strong and my resolve returns.

"Hello, Kaname" I say, smiling. "Shall we go?"

Kaname offers me his arm. I stare at it, a little surprised. He's never done that before. He chuckles and I realized that I've been staring for a longer time than what is socially acceptable. Quickly, I take his arm and we begin walking.

I ask Kaname about his break and he tells me about staying with the Aido family. "Don't you have family to go home to?" I ask before my brain catches up with me. "S-sorry. How rude of me. You don't have to answer me if you don't want to. I wasn't thinking."

"No, it's okay, Yuki," Kaname replies, his voice sad. "My parents died long ago. Ichijo's family actually raised me." I look at him, surprised. "Yes, Takuma is like a brother to me. He's actually one of the few people who will talk to me without the usual reservation vampires have with purebloods. Hanabusa is another one. That's what I really appreciate about both of them. I hate being treated like I'm somehow better."

I cringe a little in embarrassment. Do I treat Kaname differently? I'm not sure. I don't think I treat him any differently than I treat other vampires, but I definitely don't treat vampires the same way I treat humans. It's not that I treat them badly or anything, I'm just not as at ease with vampires as I am with humans.

"Yuki, don't worry," Kaname says as if reading my mind, "I love everything about you, including the way you act around me."

He just reminded me of what I meant to ask him. "Kaname, I've been wanting to ask you this for a while," I say, looking at the ground as I walk. "Just what I am to you? You treat me so differently than anyone else, vampires and humans included. I just don't understand. I'm only a human. Even if I became a vampire, I'd be beneath your station."

"It seems like you've thought a lot about this," Kaname comments. "I wonder if that means you feel the same way I do."

"Please don't dodge my question, Kaname," I plead. "I have to know what this is. I'm tired of worrying and wondering."

"Yuki, it's so much more complicated than you can imagine," Kaname says. "I can tell you this. We have a shared past."

A shared past? I think about what that means. Kaname keeps quiet, letting me think as we silently walk through the grounds, arm in arm. I think back to when I first met Kaname and thought his voice sounded vaguely familiar. I run through the memories of my childhood, delving into years past, trying to think of when I met him. Then I reach that day. That day where my life was changed.

"Are you the one?" I whisper. "The one who saved my life?"

"Yes," Kaname says. "Yes, I am."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

"But why?" I ask. "Why did you save me?"

"Oh, Yuki," Kaname sighs, "This is dangerous territory and I want to protect you from it."

I stop, suddenly furious and I extract my arm from his. "Kaname Kuran! I am seventeen years old. I'm not a child." I tried not to yell, but I as I talked my voice grew in volume until I did. So much for not sounding childish. I added, more calmly, "Please. Please tell me the truth."

He looks at me. Really looks at me, as if he's gazing into my soul. I stare back, determined.

"Yuki, do you know why your father went on an assignment with the Hunter's Association even though he had retired?" Kaname finally asks.

"I thought he said that was supposed to be his last one," I say, confused. That's what I'd always been given to believe anyway. That the mission he went on before my mother died was supposed to be his last.

"Well, he had already technically retired when they sent him on that one," Kaname replies. "He probably just told you that to keep things simple."

I mull that over for a moment. Then I say, "But I don't know why he went on that assignment. I've never thought about it before."

"Then you should start there, Yuki," Kaname says. "Ask your father about that. I'm sorry, but I can't tell you everything right now."

I glare at him. "I don't need protection! I'm a big girl. I can handle it," I say, struggling to keep my voice even.

"It's not about what you can handle," Kaname says sadly. "It's about what the vampire society can handle."

What on Earth? I have no idea what he's talking about. I start to say, "Wha-?" but he cuts me off. "I'm so sorry, Yuki," he says, touching my arm. "But I can't tell you any more than that. Not now."

And before I can respond, Kaname is gone. Bitterly, I set off to find my father.

* * *

Ultimately, Maria decided to just unpack tonight rather than barge in the middle of class, which seemed sensible to Zero. Coming into class randomly would be a bit awkward. So, after showing her around, he escorted her to the Moon Dorm. Seiren was waiting for them outside of the gates.

"Thank you, Zero," she said brusquely. "I'll take Maria to meet the others."

Zero thought about arguing, just to be difficult, but he decided he didn't want to make things harder for Maria. So he said, "Sure," and looked at Maria. "I'll see you tomorrow, I guess."

"Okay. Goodbye, Zero!" Maria said. "I really enjoyed spending time with you!"

Surprisingly, Zero had also enjoyed himself. He actually had never spent so much one-on-one time with a vampire before, but Maria didn't seem too much like a vampire, despite the face that she'd never met a human before today. She was very inquisitive and curious about everything, which challenged Zero because he had taken a lot of things for granted. She was like a child exposed with new scenery—she wanted to know it all. He realized that Maria brought a whole new perspective to conversation and he looked forward to seeing her in the future.

"Yeah, me too," Zero replied. And, waving goodbye, he left the two women and headed back down the path. Once he was out of earshot of the vampires, he said, "You can stop hiding, Master."

Toga Yagari stepped out on the path. "Well, well. My pupil is all grown up," he commented.

"What are you doing here?" Zero asked.

"I was sent to kill you," Yagari said simply.

Zero nodded. He thought this might happen. "Well, I know that you could have killed me at any point before now. Have you decided not to obey the orders?"

"The jury's still out on that one," Yagari replied calmly. "I've decided to observe you and see if you keep sane."

"Great," Zero said. "Just what I need. A babysitter."

Yagari raised his eyebrows at this. "Well, I could just kill you if that would make it easier for you."

Zero's mouth twitched. "I guess it won't be the end of the world to have you around."

"Glad to have your approval," Yagari said dryly. They fell into step as they walked back in the direction of the academy. "You know, the headmaster is having me teach the Night Class as well," he said conversationally. "You storming out of the classroom was actually much more civilized than the reception I got there. After I dismissed class, one of the vamps threw a knife at me! Granted, maybe I was a little too blunt with them." He shrugged. "Like I care. I still got the reflexes."

"What are you doing here?" Zero asks, ignoring Yagari's anecdote. "I go four years without seeing you and now you just turn up out of the blue."

Yagari sighs. "I've had my reasons. I was doing some investigating into the circumstances of your parents' murder."

"You what?" Zero asked sharply, turning to look at him.

"Yeah, but it's been pretty hazy overall. Once I find out more, I'll clue you in," Yagari said.

"I don't see why you can't tell me whatever you know now," Zero muttered.

"You wouldn't. Trust me, it'll be worth the wait," Yagari replied.

"Yeah, whatever," Zero said and turned and disappeared into the forest, taking a shortcut to the Sun Dorm.

"Good to see you, too," Yagari said to the darkness. But his heart felt very light at that moment. Zero was not a Level E just yet, so there was still hope.

* * *

Breathlessly, I hammer on the door to the headmaster's office. On the way to the main building, I noticed that the lights were off back home, so I knew he had to be in his office.

"Enter," I hear his calm voice say and I barge in. I'm taken aback for a moment by the sight. He's wearing his floral apron and is engaged in roasting some kind of fish over a portable grill. Then I shrug my shoulders and turn my attention back to the reason for my visit.

"Father," I begin, knowing that using the familiar title will likely soften him up, "I just had a conversation with Kaname." Before I can continue, he interrupts me.

"Yuki! My darling daughter," he exclaims. Did he even hear anything I just said? "You must try some of this fish. It's my own creation!" I knew what that meant. Something that would taste really funky. Usually, I humored him, but I was in no mood right now.

"No thanks, Dad." I reply, getting even more familiar in my address. "I talked with Kaname this evening."

"Oh, you did?" he says absently.

"Yes, and he told me something interesting about the night Mother was murdered," my father looked sharply at me when I said this, finally paying attention, but kept quiet. "He told me that you had been ordered to go on that mission." Before he can reply, I add. "I remembered that Kaname is the one who saved me before you got there. When I first met him, I thought his voice sounded familiar, but I didn't know why until now." Father and I hardly ever talk of this night. In fact, I don't think we've ever done more than loosely reference it. We've never directly discussed it.

"Why don't you sit down, Yuki," he says, after a moment. He switches off the grill and places the lid on top of it to keep his concoction warm. It must be his dinner since he probably still had work to do tonight. "Let me pour us some tea and we'll talk."

Realizing it would be pointless to rush him, I sit down on the sofa and watch him place a teapot and two teacups with saucers on a tray. He walks over to the sitting area and places the tray on the coffee table. After pouring us both some tea, he hands me a cup and sits down with his own. He holds the saucer in front of him while he lifts the tea to his mouth. I also take a sip for lack of anything better to do.

With a contented sigh, he sets the teacup back on the saucer and places them both on the coffee table. "Yuki, how much do you know about purebloods and vampire politics?" he asks, looking at me directly for the first time since he went to prepare the tea.

I think about it for a moment and then reply, "Well, I know that most vampires obey the wishes of purebloods, but that there is also a vampire Senate who rules the vampire race instead of having a pureblood monarchy as there once was. Kaname told me a while ago that the Senate is pretty corrupt now."

"That is correct, Yuki," my fathers says. "I'm afraid the Hunter's Association has gone down that route as well."

I almost choke on my tea. "What?!" I exclaim. "How can this be?"

"Humans are flawed people," he says sadly. "When the opportunity to seize power arises, people—whether human or vampire—are tempted to control it. It takes a strong force of will to resist power." A haze of memories seems to cross his eyes. "I know that all too well. I learned very early that power and fame were my weaknesses. I didn't use to always be such a pacifist, Yuki. For a long time, I was a proud vampire hunter. A lot like Zero actually, in many ways. But I had a reality check many years ago…" he trailed off, succumbing to past memories.

I clear my throat. "Um…Dad?" I say, "What does this have to do with your mission?"

The headmaster starts a little and shakes his head to clear it. "Ah, yes. My apologies, Yuki. I'm an old man with too many memories." He pauses, apparently trying to recollect his train of thought. "Ah, yes, corruption. About a decade ago, I discovered that the Hunter's Association and the Senate have been in cahoots for a while." I smile to myself at the word "cahoots," it's such a dad word to say. "When they find it convenient, the Senate might request that a certain vampire be put on the kill list and the Association will send a hunter to kill that vampire. Regrettably, this is what happened to the mate of the pureblood Shizuka Hio. He was a human she had turned into a vampire, but I assume she had given him her blood and that he was stable. But, for whatever reason, he was placed on the kill list and the Kiryus were the ones who killed him."

I gasp. "Zero's parents?"

He nods. "Correct. So, Shizuka went berserk and murdered Zero's family and bit Zero out of spite." He lowers his head. "You're old enough to hear this now. Shizuka drained the blood of his parents right in front of Zero, who was helpless to stop her. She left them with just enough blood to see Zero get bitten. And then she killed them and left Zero lying on the floor."

I feel tears well up in my eyes. "Poor, poor Zero. No wonder he hates vampires so much."

"Regrettably, yes. But do you see that both Shizuka Hio and the Kiryus were victims of a greater scheme? A greater corruption? As best as I can tell through my investigations with a colleague, the Senate requested that Shizuka Hio's mate be put on the kill list. It's the highest crime to kill a pureblood, but spreading the word that her mate had fallen to a Level E and was disposed of accordingly appears like no crime at all."

I shake my head in disgust. "That's despicable."

"It is," my father says somberly. "Purebloods occupy a complicated role in vampire society. Due to the close interaction between hunters and vampires, the twisted webs they weave eventually trap us as well." He takes off his glasses and begins to clean them. "The night you and…your mother were attacked." His voice breaks a little at the mention of my mother. "I had actually caught wind of a scheme to murder the Kurans."

I stare at him. "Kaname's family?"

"Correct," he says. "I'm afraid, however, it's not my story to tell." He places his glasses back on. The magnifying effect of the glass makes it easy for me to see the intense sadness in his eyes. "Besides, I was too late to help. Both Kaname's family and my family." Tears began to pour down his cheeks.

I desperately want to ask him more about the circumstances surrounding that incident, but instead I find myself moving to sit beside him and wrapping my arms around him.

"You did your best, father," I say finally, "That's all anyone can expect of you."

* * *

"So, you're the new transfer student, huh?" Hanabusa asked, bounding up in front of Maria and staring at her intently. "Where did you come from? Why are you starting so late? I heard you have an illness. What makes you sick?"

"Whoa there, Hanabusa," Akatsuki said, stepping in front of his overenthusiastic cousin and bowing slightly to Maria. "I'm sorry about that. Hanabusa here is both overly curious about everything and has no sense of decorum or manners." He gave a rare smile to Maria, who stood a little stunned by Seiren in the foyer. "My name is Akatsuki Kain. This doofus is my cousin and roommate, Hanabusa Aido." He gestured towards the other vampires who were standing by the seating area near the staircase. "This is Ruka Souen," he and Ruka shared a brief smile. "Senri Shiki and Rima Toya," he pointed at each in turn. "These two both work as models sometimes during the day." Senri and Rima both nodded at Maria and then sat back down to peruse the magazine they had been reading before her arrival. Ruka sat down across from them and opened her book. Akatsuki's eyes lingered on her before looking back at Maria.

"Lord Kaname asked us to escort you to your room and then bring you to his office to meet him. He sends his regards and apologies that he couldn't meet you himself," Akatsuki said. "He had other business to attend to before now." _Other business, like strolling the grounds with Yuki Cross,_ Akatsuki thought dryly. He still wasn't sure what the Dorm President saw in the human girl, but he chose not to dwell on the matter.

Maria turned to look for Seiren to say her thanks, but Seiren had vanished. She shrugged at the odd behavior and followed the two vampire cousins up the stairs. As they emerged onto the hallway, Maria noticed another vampire standing by a door halfway down the hall.

"Hello! You must be Maria," the blonde vampire said. "My name is Takuma Ichijo. I'm the Dorm Vice-President." He opened the door for her. "This will be your room. I hope it's to your liking. I thought you might rather have a room to yourself since you're new and you might enjoy having your own space."

Maria walked in the room and felt a huge smile spread across her face. "Yes, Takuma. This will do nicely!" she said happily. She ran back over to him. "Thank you so much!"

"Wow, I didn't expect you to be so excited," he said dazedly, "But I'm so happy that you're happy. If you're okay with this room, I'll go work on the paperwork to make it officially yours. After your meeting with Kaname, I'll be back for you to sign the paperwork and it's all yours."

Maria nodded happily. "Sounds great!" she said. After giving her new room one last glance, she turned to face Akatsuki and Hanabusa. "I'm ready to meet Lord Kaname."

Akatsuki and Hanabusa nodded and led Maria to the end of the hall to Kaname's office. Hanabusa knocked quickly. After hearing Kaname's calm, "Come in," the three of them entered his office.

Kaname was sitting at his desk examining some papers. Seiren was also there, standing beside him, looking over his shoulders at the same documents. Kaname looked up and, seeing Maria, nodded at Seiren who vanished into the shadows.

Kaname stood up. "Well, hello Miss Kurenai. It's a pleasure to have you join us."

"Oh, please just call me, Maria, Lord Kaname," she replied, reddening a little at his formal tone. As secluded as she was growing up, she had had to study up on formal manners before coming to the academy. She knew that she must always call a pureblood "Lord" or "Lady," but she also knew that a pureblood should be able to call her whatever he or she wanted.

"Very well," he said. As she expected, he did not reciprocate her request to make things less formal. "Is your room to your liking?"

"Yes!" she said excitedly, "Very much so. Thank you!"

"Very good," Kaname said. "Do you have any questions about Cross Academy or anything else?"

Maria shook her head. "I don't think so. Zero Kiryu answered pretty much all of my questions when he gave me a tour of campus."

Kaname raised his eyebrows at this. "Did he now? How…friendly of him."

Maria wasn't sure what Kaname meant by that, but chose not to think about it. After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Kaname said, "Well, if you think of any questions, all of the Night Class students here would be more than happy to help you."

Maria nodded. "Okay! I'll do that."

"Excellent," Kaname said. "I'm sure you'd like to unpack and rest after your long journey."

"Yes, please," Maria said. "Goodbye, Lord Kaname."

"Farewell, Maria," Kaname said.

As Kaname watched the door close behind Maria, his thoughts returned to Yuki once more. She was getting so close to discovering the truth. He had panicked and sent her to the headmaster. But what would Kaien Cross tell Yuki? Surely he wouldn't tell her the details of the attack on the Kuran mansion?

Above all else, he wanted to protect Yuki from all danger. If she dug too deeply into the past, he knew that she would be exposed to more danger than he was comfortable with.

* * *

After Yuki left his office, Kaien Cross sat for a while, lost in thought. _When had Yuki grown up so much?_ he thought, _I knew the day would come when she would have to find out the truth, but I never expected that day to be so soon or arrive so fast_. Yuki still didn't know the full truth, but she was well on her way to knowing.

"Well! There's nothing I can do about it right now," Kaien said aloud and walked back over to his fish. He lifted the lid and examined them. "I think they look all right," he said to himself. He had skewered each of the fish, so he grabbed a handle and lifted one of the fish kebabs he had made.

Right as he was about to take a bite, the door knocked. _My, my, I'm popular tonight_ , he thought before he said, "Come on in." The door opened to reveal Toga Yagari.

"Toga! My old friend," Kaien said enthusiastically, "How was your first day of class?"

Yagari walked into the office and plopped down on the couch that Yuki had vacated not too long ago. He set his feet up on the table and made himself at home. "Well, besides having my former apprentice leave during the middle of class and a vampire throwing a knife at me, I'd say it was fairly normal."

"A vampire did what?!" Kaien said, shocked.

"Did you really expect otherwise?" Yagari countered. "I still don't know why you thought that having vampires and humans coexist was a good idea, but I don't buy it for a minute." He drew out the knife. "I'd been meaning to buy a new knife anyway, so the vampire actually did me a favor. I might even ask where they got it."

"Well, so far, not one human has had their blood drunk by a vampire," Kaien said proudly. "And they invented the blood tablets, which allows vampires across the world to not rely on real blood." He hesitated for moment and added, "Although, it is a comfort to have such a skilled vampire hunter as yourself around just in case."

Yagari grunted, but didn't comment, tucking away the knife.

"Do you want one of my fish sticks? It's my own creation!" Kaien offered happily.

"Ha, I've experienced too much about your 'creations' over the years," Yagari muttered. "I think I'll pass."

"Suit yourself," Kaien said and sat down across from Yagari, munching on his dinner. After swallowing a bite, he asked, "Have you had a chance to talk to Zero?"

"Yeah," Yagari said. "He seems like the same old Zero. Well, actually way more bitter and angsty than I remembered, but maybe that's a teenager thing." He lit a cigarette. "Or maybe a my-family-was-brutally-murdered-by-a-psycho-pureblood thing." He took a long drag from the cigarette and let out the smoke.

"Did you tell him about our research?" Kaien asked, waving the smoke from his face.

"Not yet, I don't feel like we should tell him until we've got an idea of where Shizuka is," Yagari replied. "I don't want him trying to go after her or anything, but I'd rather us know where she is before we see how he reacts."

"Hm, well, if I had known you wouldn't tell him," Kaien said thoughtfully, "I might not have told my Yuki about it. She could very well tell Zero herself. They're virtually brother and sister, you know."

"You told your daughter?" Yagari asked incredulously. "Why would you do that?"

"Why shouldn't I?" Kaien countered. "Both Zero and Yuki have shouldered a ton of responsibility at this academy and have proven themselves time and time again. I think they deserve to know as much as we can tell them."

Yagari considered this. "Fine, I'll tell him the next time I see him. I'd rather him hear it from me than a distorted version through that girl of yours."

Kaien narrowed his eyes at that, but only said, "I think that's wise, Toga."

* * *

After I left the headmaster's office, I found myself on the roof where Zero and I enjoyed surveying the grounds. As I emerge onto the landing, I find Zero standing there, to my slight surprise. Slowly, I approach him and stand beside him.

"Hey," I say softly. He nods in greeting, but doesn't say anything. Thinking about what the headmaster told me earlier, I reach for his hand and rest my head against his arm—I'm too short to reach his shoulder, so I just sort of lean against him. He seems a little surprised, but doesn't do anything to make me move.

After standing like that for a while, I finally speak, "The headmaster told me about what happened to your family. I mean, he told me about your brother…and…what you had to witness." Zero stiffens.

"I'm not mad you never told me about him," I continue. "I can't imagine how hard that must have been. How difficult it still is for you." I look up at him and, to my intense disbelief, I see a few tears run down his cheek. "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't want to make you cry."

Zero shakes his head. "It's not your fault. It's _that woman's_." I consider bringing up the corruption between the Senate and the Association, but decide not to. Perhaps it's selfish of me, but I like it when Zero's actually willing to open up to me. It almost never happens. I squeeze his hand. "If you ever want to talk about it, I'm always here for you. You know that? Even though we aren't biologically related, you're my family. My brother."

Zero squeezes my hand. "I know, Yuki. Thank you." He breaks away, wiping his eyes. I decide to change the subject for now.

"Oh! I almost forgot. Why did you leave class today?" I ask, realizing, belatedly, this might not be the most cheerful subject to discuss.

"Oh. Right. Toga Yagari was my teacher. He's the one who trained me to be a vampire hunter."

"Ohhhh," I say. "But then why did you leave?"

"Because, Yuki, he lost his eye because of me," Zero says sadly. "Remember how I told you about a nurse that turned into a Level E and attacked me? I wasn't being entirely truthful. She was actually the doctor at my elementary school and also Yagari's fiancée." He pauses and then continues. "She had been gone for a while, but nobody told me it was because she'd been bitten by a pureblood. I just thought she'd been on vacation. So when she got back, I went to visit her. I discovered, to my intense shock and disbelief that she was a Level E vampire. I couldn't do anything to stop her. Yagari showed up just in time and leapt in front of me, saving my life. He's the one who shot her. I made him shoot his fiancée and lost his eye because I was too cowardly to act." He looks over at me and I can see how much pain this recollection causes him. Ugh, I'm being such a bad comforter tonight. "I promised him later that he wouldn't regret saving my life." He looks back towards the grounds. "I wonder what he thinks of me now. A vampire."

I pat Zero's arm comfortingly. "I'm sure he still cares for you. You're still the same person," I say. "You've just got a couple of fangs now and a thirst for blood."

Zero laughs at this. "You sure have a way of making a situation sound ridiculous, Yuki. Thanks."

"Don't mention it," I say, smiling.

We continue to stand, surveying the grounds, each lost in thought.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note:** Another time jump! Let me know if you think they're too excessive. My idea for the storyline takes place over a longer stretch of time, so that's why it jumps sometimes. Let me know if you think I should add some filler or if there's anything I can do to make the transitions smoother.

* * *

 **Chapter Eleven**

"Lord Kaname."

"Yes, Seiren?" Kaname said tiredly, looking up at her from the mess of papers he was sorting through on his desk.

"My lord, the Senate seems to be moving forward with their plans," Seiren reported in her straightforward manner.

Kaname sighed and closed his eyes. He might not be able to protect Yuki for very much longer, which made him incredibly sad. He wanted her to live a carefree life and had believed she would, until the Senate complicated matters.

"Very well. Let's make sure that we're completely ready for when the time comes," Kaname finally replied, opening his eyes to look at his unofficial bodyguard.

"Yes, my lord," said Seiren. "Will that be all?"

"Yes, thank you, Seiren." She nodded once and vanished.

Kaname stared at the place where Seiren had vanished into the darkness, filled with remorse that he might have to break his promise in order to protect the very person he held the most dear.

 _I'll be breaking a promise to keep another promise_ , he thought bitterly. If everything had gone the way he had hoped, he could have kept both promises just as he had been doing.

* * *

As I watch the snow beginning to melt, I suddenly realize that spring has already come. Even though Yori still sleeps peacefully downstairs in our dorm, something woke me up earlier than normal. I'm not really sure what, but I just couldn't sleep so I decided to pull on my uniform and overcoat and watch the sun rise from my favorite balcony. Now, as I lean against the partial wall, I reflect on the past couple of months.

Honestly, I didn't know where the time had gone. Not a whole lot had really changed since January, except for the fact that Ruka and Akatsuki announced that they're a couple a few weeks ago. I had been wondering about it for a while, but my suspicions were confirmed when Hanabusa walked in on them making out in the room he shared with Akatsuki and proceeded to tell anybody who would listen to him. The whole school is still gossiping about it, both girls and boys alike from the Day Class lamenting the fact that the two gorgeous students are off the market.

Hanabusa seems to enjoy the added attention that the girls who normally favored Akatsuki now bestow on him. Of course, they haven't given up, but they find it pointless to pine over Akatsuki when Hanabusa so charmingly responded to their advances.

Kaname still accompanies me on my patrols, but he always carefully steers the subject away from the past whenever I try to bring it up. I'm getting really frustrated. It's almost April and I still haven't made any progress. I decide that I need to strategize a way to make him talk.

Maria and Zero seem to spend a lot of time together. I often find them talking or walking together across campus after the sun sets. I want to chastise Zero and tell him that it takes away his focus from patrolling, but I really like seeing him so happy and, also, I have no room to talk since I enjoy my walks with Kaname.

Today, everyone leaves for spring break and I'll be left here alone with Zero again. Most of my classmates really look forward to spring break, but I always miss having everyone around. I look over at the Moon Dormitories. I'll especially miss Kaname.

He still hasn't made any more romantic advances towards me since the roses, so I start to wonder again if it's all in my head. It's got to be, I tell myself. I'm just not suitable for him at all.

I sigh. I should probably stop thinking about Kaname. I should try to find a nice Day Class boy to think about. But, as I run through the faces of all the boys in my mind, I find myself comparing the other boys with Kaname. I sigh again. No one compares with Kaname.

* * *

"I don't want to ride with you two!" Hanabusa complained. "You both are too wrapped up in each other to pay any attention to me." He crossed his arms and glared at his cousins as they all stood waiting for the driver to pick them up from the Moon Dorms. Akatsuki and Ruka had the grace to look slightly embarrassed, but otherwise seemed entirely unrepentant.

"Yeah, well, our families are vacationing together this week so get over it," Ruka retorted. "Besides, once we're out of the car, you can completely avoid us."

"Hmph," Hanabusa pouted. "My three sisters are so dull. This trip stinks. I liked it better when you weren't a couple."

Akatsuki stared at his roommate, "You don't mean that. How selfish can you be, Hanabusa?"

Hanabusa looked right back at Akatsuki and saw the hurt in his best friend's eyes. He knew that Akatsuki had loved Ruka his whole life, so he tried to backtrack a little. But not too much, of course. "Nah, I guess not," he replied. "But can you dial it down some?"

"When have we ever been over the top?" Ruka demanded. "We have never even held hands in public."

"But now I really want us to," Akatsuki commented, reaching for Ruka's hand and intertwining his fingers between hers. Her cheeks turned pink, but she didn't withdraw her hand. He began rubbing his thumb across the top of her hand.

"It's not displays of affection as much as it is that you get so caught up in each other that you don't pay attention to anyone else," Hanabusa stated, pointedly trying to avoid looking at the couple's joined hands.

"Aw, I think someone's jealous," Akatsuki stage-whispered to Ruka, who giggled. His thumb began tracing shapes on her skin, which tingled pleasantly.

Hanabusa reddened with anger and embarrassment. "I am not! I'm just sick of the lovey-doveyness!" he shouted.

Akatsuki just shrugged. "Whatever you say," he said, looking over Hanabusa's shoulder and seeing the driver. He squeezed Ruka's hand and then went to help the driver with their bags.

Ruka and Hanabusa followed Akatsuki and the driver to the town car. "Maybe you can start a new research project?" Ruka suggested, conversationally. Hanabusa had always been an extremely precocious child and absorbed as much information as he could, to the delight of his parents. As he grew up, he tackled increasingly complex research projects. The blood tablets had been his brainchild and he had taken the lead on the development.

Hanabusa shot her a look. "What? So you can just get rid of me?"

Ruka glared at him. "I was just trying to help! You seem a little aimless to me."

"It's none of your concern," Hanabusa muttered. "I don't need you or your help."

"Fine! Have it your way," she said vexedly and stormed to the opposite side of the car and took the passenger seat, forcing Akatsuki and Hanabusa to sit in the back. The boys were perplexed at her behavior, normally she would never consider sitting in the front. Hanabusa must have really irritated her.

Once they were all buckled in, the driver pulled out of the driveway and headed towards the main road. An awkward silence permeated the car for several minutes. Finally, Hanabusa couldn't bear it any longer.

"Maybe I should have tagged along with Senri and Rima on their photoshoot like Takuma," Hanabusa muttered petulantly, crossing his arms again and looking out of the window.

"Maybe you should have!" Ruka said angrily, not bothering to look back at him.

"You know, Hanabusa," Akatsuki said after a moment. "You did start this whole thing."

"No I didn't! You both did by getting together," Hanabusa retorted.

Akatsuki noticed Ruka's eyes on him in the rearview mirror. They both were thinking the same thing: _What's gotten into Hanabusa?_

If he were honest with himself, Hanabusa didn't know the answer. For several months, he'd had a growing feeling that he was missing something huge, but he didn't know what. Sometimes, he thought he felt lonely. Other times, he felt that the issue was something more practical, like not knowing the answer to something. Maybe it was a little of both.

Perhaps he would take the time over this break to discover the answer.

* * *

At Seiren's news, Kaname decided not to leave the Academy, as he had planned, to visit the Kuran mansion. It had been some time since he had ventured to the place and he felt that it would be important to check on it. But, now that he knew the Senate had decided officially to move forward with their plans, he knew that his place was near Yuki. He had no idea how fast the plans would progress, but he didn't want to be too far away if they progressed extremely quickly.

But he wasn't sure how to visit Yuki. She didn't know he was staying and he didn't want to mislead her. He loved her deeply, but he wanted her to have a chance at true happiness rather than the dark future that awaited him. Thus, he had not made any advances towards her since the roses he sent her.

But this had proven to be more difficult than he anticipated. Every time he saw her, he could not keep his eyes off of her. He loved everything about her: her long, brown hair; her deep auburn eyes; her long, lean legs; her sweet smile.

 _I need some fresh air_ , he thought and left the dorm. He blinked in surprise, as his eyes tried to adjust to the light. Even as a pureblood, he didn't enjoy being outside during the daytime because the light of the sun was just too bright. Hastily, he made his way into the sheltered atmosphere of the woods and strolled its familiar paths.

He couldn't help but hope that Yuki might be awake at this hour and happen to spot him.

* * *

After I said goodbye to Yori and had a quick breakfast with my father, I decided to stroll the grounds to develop my strategy to confront Kaname. As I walk, I realize just how annoyed I am with him. Whenever I see him, my frustrations always disappear, but return in full force after we part. Why won't he just be honest with me? After all, revealing that we have a shared past and then directing me to my father who directs me back to Kaname after telling me some more complicated information is rather convoluted and maddening.

I think back to our previous conversations. I never had directly asked him about why we're connected, I realize. I always chicken out because I don't want to make him sad or be rude by asking about his family. This is so complicated. I'm so torn by a desire to know the truth and a desire to keep Kaname as my friend. My worst fear in all this is completely losing him.

Absorbed in my thoughts, my feet carry me deeper and deeper into the woods. Maybe I can start my conversation with a harmless question about his family and see if I can steer it towards the plot to kill them. Again, I'm afraid of prying too much, but something truly seems connected with my mother's murder and the plot to kill Kaname's family.

Suddenly, I become aware of a human-shaped form leaning against the base of a tree. Thinking that it's probably Zero, I make my way over there. As I get closer, I realize, to my shock and amazement, that Kaname is the one leaning against the tree. Even more surprising, he's asleep. My stomach turns over at the sight. I've never seen him asleep before. I try to stay completely silent as I move closer.

His back is against the tree trunk with his long legs spread out in front of him and his hands lying on the ground beside him. I position myself beside his legs and angle my body so that I can get a clear look at his features. I feel intrusive and kind of creepy, but I can't help myself. He looks so peaceful and relaxed, quite different from his normal mask of composure.

A smile crosses his lips and I wonder what he's dreaming about. I long to touch him, to run my fingers across his cheeks and to trace his smile with my fingertips. But I do not let myself act on the impulse. I content myself to watch him sleep and daydream about reaching out to touch his face.

After a few moments, his face changes and he looks angry. His lips snarl and his fangs extend. I jump back a little in surprise and hastily try to wake him up.

"Kaname! Kaname!" I shout desperately as he thrashes about, "Wake up!" I grab his shoulders and shake him. His eyes open wide and, suddenly, I feel the impact of my body against the forest floor and a heavy weight on my chest. Kaname has me pinned to the ground, looking at me with befuddled anger and fear. I feel like prey, trapped by a larger predator. I look into his eyes, struggling to find recognition in them.

"Kaname! It's me, Yuki!" I plead, startled by the wild hunger I see in his eyes. He's breathing deeply, his chest rising and falling against mine. His fangs are still extended and his gaze seems to be pointed lower than my face. Towards my neck, I realize. He wants to drink my blood.

I let my head fall back against the forest floor and expose my neck to him. I have no idea why I'm doing this, but it just seems right. I close my eyes. I feel Kaname's chest rise and fall against me, slowly decreasing in speed.

"Yuki," I hear his voice say, "Yuki, please don't do that." I feel something soft touch my face. I open my eyes and see that his palm is resting against my cheek. His fangs are no longer extended. I lift my head up and bring it closer to his. I reach my hand up and run my fingers through his hair until my hand rests against the back of his head. I pull his head closer until my lips are at his ear.

"I'll do anything for you, Kaname," I whisper. "I hope you know that." At my words, I think I feel something wet fall against my cheek. Is he crying? I pull my face back to look at him more closely and, sure enough, a tear had escaped from his eye.

"Oh, Kaname," I say sadly. "I wish you wouldn't carry so much on yourself. Something is obviously troubling you." After all, I did find him asleep in the middle of the woods and having a nightmare. Acting on an impulse, I bring my lips to the tear and kiss it away. "Why won't you let me in?"

"Yuki," he slowly rubs his thumb back and forth across my cheek. "I can't lose you. I'm terrified that something will happen to you if you know too much."

"Is that what you were dreaming about?" I ask in wonder. Was he dreaming about me? Did I bring that smile to his face?

He nods. "I dreamt that someone took you away from me. I was terrified and furious." He wraps an arm around me and pulls me into his chest, while he rises up into a seated position. He crosses his legs and places me on his lap, with my legs extended to the side and resting against the ground over one of his legs. In this position, he clutches me in a death grip against his chest. It's not the most comfortable, since I'm kind of twisted, but I don't worry about that as I snake my arms behind him and tighten my hold.

We just hold each other for a time. I have no idea how long I've been out here and I don't really care. I'm very happy to just sit in Kaname's embrace, enjoying the sensation of his fingers gently running through my hair. He occasionally whispers my name with such care that it sends shivers down my spine. There is no question now that he cares for me just as I care for him. Yes, I am extremely content in this moment.

* * *

 _What have I done?_ Kaname thought as he held Yuki. _I almost drank from her, which would have turned her_. He couldn't do that to her, unless his worst fears came true. But in that moment after waking up, where he dreamed that she had been taken, he had desperately wanted to drink from her and to turn her into a vampire to keep her safe.

He couldn't believe what she'd done after he'd thrown her to the ground out of reflex. She had not been afraid. Instead, she comforted _him_ after he had basically attacked her _._ She's so selfless. She deserved someone so much better for her, but he couldn't let her go.

"Yuki," he murmured into her hair, filling the word with as much adoration as he felt. He rested his head against hers. No, instead of fleeing, she had comforted him and now her arms wrapped tightly around him, just as he had one of his around her. His other hand ran through her tangled hair—tangled because of what he'd done—and gently worked through the tangles and the residue from the forest floor. "Yuki," he whispered, savoring each syllable.

He loved her so much, but he had no idea what he was doing. He had no idea how to keep her safe, how to love her like he wanted, how to be with her, or how to make the right choice. He had never loved someone this intensely before and that terrified him beyond anything else.

"Yuki," he said, desperately.

* * *

Unbidden, I remember my plan from this morning. I tense, not wanting to interrupt this moment, so I try to relax again, but Kaname already noticed my change.

"What is it, Yuki?" he asks quietly, placing his hands on my shoulders in order to pull back far enough to see me.

I shake my head. "I remembered that I wanted to talk to you about something, but it can wait."

He studies me. "What did you want to talk about?"

Seeing that I can't get out of it now, I go with my original plan and say, "Well, I wanted to ask you about your family."

He raises an eyebrow. "Is that all?"

I blush and say, "Sure." For now, I add silently. "I just want to know more about you and where you came from."

He leans back against the tree and rests one of his hands on my thigh, while the other resumes playing with my hair. "My parents were actually siblings," he began. "This is actually very common in the pureblood world and especially my family because we have the purest of pure blood. My parents' father was the last pureblood king."

"Really? I thought that the royalty was dissolved a long time ago," I comment, which makes Kaname chuckle.

"You forget, Yuki, that purebloods can live forever," he says with a smile, "My parents lived together for a thousand years before I came along and their father even longer than that. After establishing the Senate and making sure it ran efficiently, he ended his life, finally tiring of endlessly living."

"He committed suicide?" I ask, shocked.

"Most purebloods eventually do this," Kaname says. "They get so tired of living forever that they seek an end. Or they go to sleep for generations."

"They go to sleep? Like hibernation?" I wonder, a little puzzled.

"You could say that," Kaname replies. We sit in silence for a while as I take it in that information. I feel Kaname's fingers running through my hair and, absently, I take his hand resting on my thigh in both of mine and begin playing with his fingers. Not looking at Kaname, I ask, "So what happened to them?"

"Who? My parents?" he asks and I nod. "I can't talk about that, Yuki. Please understand."

I look up and into his eyes, which are pleading. He looks so sad. All I want to do is take that sadness away from him. I lean sideways so that I'm resting against his chest and rest my right hand against his cheek. "I'll try, Kaname. But I want to know the truth about my past. I have to, don't you see? I want to know why my mother was killed. I want to know why I almost died and why you were there to save me."

He wraps his arms around me, crushing me once again to his body, my face buried in his chest. "You deserve to know the truth, Yuki, but I just can't tell you. Not yet."

At his words, I push him away and stand up, forgetting my desire to end his sadness in my annoyance. "Well, Kaname, I don't think I can keep seeing you if you continue keeping this from me." I bend and rest my palms against his cheeks. "I really care about you, Kaname, but I can't get any more involved with you until I know more." I lean back up and look down at him. "I deluded myself these past couple of months into thinking you only liked me as a friend. Now, I think that we both know we care for each other more than that, but I can't be with someone who isn't honest with me." Before I can go back on my words, I turn and run away into the woods.

I find myself wishing that Kaname will run after me, but he doesn't, which breaks my heart even more.

* * *

Kaname desperately wanted to stop Yuki, to keep her next to him, but he knew she was right. She did deserve the truth, but he had made a promise and he wasn't going to go back on it—no matter how much he wanted to sometimes—until he had no other choice. So, he watched her disappear into the trees, his heart sinking.

He would protect her as best as he could, whether it was by her side or at a distance.

* * *

The moment Maria stepped out of her family's carriage she noticed cherry blossoms. She smiled at the sight, struggling to recall when she'd last seen them in the part of the country where her family lives. Bending over to pick one up, she smelled the lovely scent of a blossom.

She held the blossom to her face and, for the first time since leaving Cross Academy, Maria felt happy to be home. She had been extremely reluctant to leave the liberating atmosphere of the Academy and, she would never admit to anyone due to embarrassment, she was sad to leave Zero. He had become a constant source of happiness to her, though most of the other vampires detested him. Whenever she saw him around the academy, he maintained such a detached and boredly irritated demeanor. However, as they spent more and more time together, he let that mask of his slip little by little and she started to see what she believed to be the true Zero. She felt so grateful to see a side of Zero that he hid from most other people, especially the rest of the vampires.

Giving the blossoms one last glance and tucking the one she held into her hair, Maria walked into the Kurenai villa and called, "Hello? I'm home." After waiting in the entryway for a few moments, she felt irrationally annoyed that neither of her parents had come to greet her immediately. Didn't they miss her? But, as she moved farther inside, she heard footsteps approach and then saw her mother emerge.

"Maria, welcome home," she said breathlessly before pulling her daughter in for a hug, bending slightly to whisper in her ear, "We have a visitor. A very important visitor. Please be on your best behavior."

Maria peered over her mother's shoulder and saw a tall woman with long, white hair standing in the doorway her mother had emerged from. Maria could sense the power emanating from the woman. A pureblood, she knew.

"Hello, Maria," the woman said. Maria and her mother broke apart to look at the pureblood vampire. "Do you know who I am?"

Maria studied the woman and knew she could only be one person. "You're Lady Shizuka Hio." Suddenly, the lingering scent of the cherry blossoms turned bitter.

"That is correct," Shizuka said. "Come, sit with me in the living room." She gestured for Maria to walk in front of her. "We have a lot to discuss."

* * *

 **Author's Note** : From now on, I'll post chapters less frequently than before. I just started grad school, so that takes up a lot of my time and brainpower. This chapter was so difficult for me to write, perhaps because of the content and also because of brain-friedness. As always, let me know what you think in a review!


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

Why is it that when you're trying to avoid someone, you see that person all the time? And when you really want to see someone, you never see them. All year, I've wanted to see Kaname around campus and "bump" into him. Never saw him. This past week, I've seen him all the time. It's driving me crazy—and weakening my resolve not to talk to him. I miss him, more than I'd care to admit.

Luckily, class is starting back up today so I will have other distractions. There are only so many things to keep you busy when it's only you, your dad, and your brother around. Except Zero wasn't around very much. Now that Yagari has come to campus, the Hunter's Association has been "testing" Zero and sending him on assignments. Zero told me once that he thinks it's their way of making sure he's really on the Hunter's side and not the vampire side, which I find kind of ironic. If you've ever talked to Zero you'd know he's not on the vampire side at all. Quite the contrary.

I worry about him. It troubles me that they've assigned him to go hunt down Level E's. What if he gets injured and becomes one himself after losing too much blood? What if this process of dealing with them makes him lose the humanity that he's already clinging to? I just don't know.

I know he's looking forward to Maria coming back and I am too. Hopefully, she can help keep him focused on the good things in life. Zero can be so gloomy and it's hard to keep him in good spirits.

"Yuki!" a familiar voice calls out. I spin around from my position in the courtyard and see Yori coming towards me.

"Yori! Hi!" I call, running to meet her and giving her a hug. "I missed you! How was your break?"

"It was nice, nothing too exciting this time," she replies. "How about you?" My face must have fallen because she wraps an arm around my shoulders and says, "Tell me about it." So I tell her about the incident with Kaname and how hard it has been the past week to not talk to him.

"I'm so sorry, Yuki," Yori says sincerely. "I know how much you care about him."

"Yori, I don't know what to do," I say miserably. "I haven't had anyone else to talk to about this all week. The headmaster and Zero just wouldn't understand." Yori nods sympathetically. "I think I'm in love with him, Yori." She nods again, but this time in an unsurprised way like she'd known all along. "I don't know what to do at all. I can't stand not talking to him, but I also can't talk to him if he's keeping something big from me. How can I be in a relationship—friend or otherwise—if it's based on a lie?"

Yori considers this. "I wouldn't say it's based off of a lie," she says. "Because I do think he genuinely cares for you and probably feels the same way. But it must be something really important if he's keeping it from you."

"But I can't stand it! Why won't he trust me?" I implore to no one in particular.

"I don't know, Yuki. But he is a pureblood vampire," Yori reminds me. "There is so much about vampire society we don't understand. Didn't you tell me back in January that he said he couldn't tell you the truth because the vampire society couldn't handle it?"

"Does he expect me to run off and tell the vampire society?" I counter. "Who am I going to tell?"

"Well, Hanabusa is really inquisitive. Maybe he'd find out and then tell everyone," Yori points out.

"Hey! Why would I tell everyone? I'm trustworthy!" Yori and I jump in surprise as we see Hanabusa emerge from the trees.

"Hanabusa! Why were you listening to our conversation?" I demand. To my surprise, I see Yori redden a little. I make a mental note to ask her about that later.

Hanabusa keeps his eyes on Yori as he responds, "Relax, Disciplinary Committee. I saw you two over here, so I decided to come and say hi. I just heard the last bit about vampire society and the implication that I am a blabbermouth. Which I'm not, why would you think that, Sayori?"

"It's Wakaba to you, Aido," Yori says shortly.

"Hey! It was Hanabusa earlier, now it's Aido?" Hanabusa asks, sounding surprised and disappointed.

"Yes. And to answer your earlier question, it was you who told the whole school about your roommate and Ruka dating," Yori responds brusquely.

"You know Akatsuki is my roommate? My, my, someone has been paying attention," Hanabusa says flirtatiously, leaning towards Yori, who took a step back.

"The whole school knows that," she says rolling her eyes. "You two are the subject of most of the gossip. Well, actually, Takuma and Senri have gotten rather popular lately now that Akatsuki is off the market."

"Whaaat?!" Hanabusa cries, clutching his heart. "How can Akatsuki being tied down make me lower in the ranks?"

"Because the girls here have twisted imaginations," I chime in. "And that's all I'm going to say about that." I turn to Yori. "Are you ready to go? Let's get dinner before I have to patrol."

"Yes, let's go, Yuki," she agrees, grabbing my arm.

"Bye, Hanabusa!" I yell over my shoulder as we turn to walk away.

"Wait! Don't leave me in this way!" he calls, following behind us. "I don't want to go back to my room or the dorm. I'm so tired of Ruka and Akatsuki making goo-goo eyes at each other."

Yori and I giggle. "Who still says 'goo-goo eyes'?" Yori laughs.

Hanabusa pouts. "Fine, that wasn't the most creative term ever, but I'm so tired of it that it's put me at a loss for words."

I look over at Yori, considering inviting Hanabusa along, but she shakes her head slightly, her eyes pleading with me wordlessly not to invite him. I narrow my eyes, wondering why she's so opposed to it. I'm definitely not letting her off the hook about this. "Sorry, Hanabusa, Yori and I need girl talk."

Seeing that Hanabusa was not convinced, I turn to look at Yori and say, "Yeah, Yori, I've been getting these really bad cramps lately, I think it's almost that time of the month." I hear a quick rustling noise and see that Hanabusa has disappeared into the trees. We both laugh and head out of the gates to our favorite restaurant in town.

* * *

Hanabusa wasn't the only one eavesdropping on Yori and Yuki's conversation. Kaname had been watching Yuki daydreaming on the bench in the courtyard when Sayori approached. He had meant to turn away and leave, to give the girls privacy, when he saw Yori wrap her arm around a suddenly sad looking Yuki. Suddenly, he found that he couldn't move away from the pair, feeling overcome with jealousy that it wasn't him putting his arm around Yuki.

Despondently, he listened to Yuki describe their encounter and the conversation that followed. He jumped a little when Yuki said, "I think I'm in love with him, Yori." At his beloved's words, a huge smile spread across his face. Just as quickly, he remembered that this is bad and that she shouldn't love him. He was no good for her. But no matter what he told himself, that smile would not go away.

He came back from his reverie at Yuki's exclamation, "But I can't stand it! Why won't he trust me?" He listened as her friend, Sayori, responded, "I don't know, Yuki. But he is a pureblood vampire. There is so much about vampire society we don't understand. Didn't you tell me back in January that he said he couldn't tell you the truth because the vampire society couldn't handle it?" Kaname was a little surprised that Sayori knew so much about their relationship, but he knew that Sayori was a level-headed person who could be trusted to handle things.

"Does he expect me to run off and tell the vampire society?" he heard Yuki say, sounding impatient, "Who am I going to tell?" Kaname paused at this. Yuki made an excellent point. Who would she tell really?

But then, Sayori made a point that Kaname also found hard to argue. "Well, Hanabusa is really inquisitive. Maybe he'd find out and then tell everyone."

And, proving her point, his often-misguided friend hopped out of the trees and cried, "Hey! Why would I tell everyone? I'm trustworthy!" Kaname shook his head. For a genius, Hanabusa could be so dense. Kaname decided to go back to the Moon Dormitory after the appearance of Hanabusa.

As he walked, Kaname became lost in thought as he considered options for telling Yuki or at least making her feel like she was informed. He missed her too much to let things continue the way they had been the past week.

When he reached his study, a letter from the headmaster requesting a meeting with him offered him the perfect idea and solution. Grinning, Kaname began developing a plan.

* * *

Hanabusa sped towards the Moon Dormitory lost in thought. What were the two girls talking about earlier? What secret could Lord Kaname have that bound him and Yuki Cross? The interest Lord Kaname had shown in Yuki Cross had always baffled Hanabusa. He didn't understand what the pureblood could possibly see in an average human girl. Sure, Yuki was a lovely girl, but not drop-dead gorgeous either. _No, there must be something there_ , Hanabusa thought. _Something I'm not realizing_.

Maybe this was the issue that had been bothering Hanabusa the past few months. The more he thought about Yuki and Lord Kaname having a shared past, the more he realized how fishy Kaname Kuran's past was. He thought back to the day he saw Kaname walking with Asato Ichijo at Hanabusa's first soiree he was allowed to attend.

He had just heard that Kaname's father had committed suicide, leaving Kaname parentless. The word was that Haruka Kuran had never recovered from his wife, Juri, committing suicide a few years before that. The Ichijo family took Kaname in so Kaname and Takuma grew up like brothers. Takuma's grandfather, Asato Ichijo, owned the pharmaceutical company that now sold the blood tablets for vampires.

Hanabusa remembered how baffled he was when he first heard about that. He had met Kaname and his parents when he and Kaname were both really young. Hanabusa shuddered in embarrassment at the memory of how rude he was to Kaname then. When he met Kaname, he didn't know very much about purebloods or even that the Kuran family were purebloods. At the time, he just resented Kaname for intruding on him while he was studying.

Kaname had opened the door where Hanabusa had been reading and introduced himself. Hanabusa had dismissed him instantly and told Kaname to leave him alone. His instructor had been sure to communicate to Hanabusa how rude he had been, but Hanabusa had never apologized to Kaname for his initial rudeness until years later. In fact, Kaname had come and apologized to Hanabusa for being rude, but Hanabusa had foolishly told Kaname that he hated him.

Several years later, when he met Kaname at that soiree, Hanabusa swore his allegiance to Kaname, even though Kaname was completely different from the happy child he had been before. It made sense for Kaname to be so changed because Kaname's mother, Juri, had committed suicide, after all. At the time, Hanabusa decided not to question it too much. But now, he remembered how weird it was that they had left their only son alone in the world. Kaname's parents seemed really happy that one time he saw them and not at all temperamental like the pureblood Shizuka Hio, who he had met at a different formal occasion.

"The Hios have a tendency towards madness," his father had told Hanabusa on their way to the event. "If you ever find yourself talking to one of them, be on your guard and be extra careful of what you say."

It wouldn't have surprised Hanabusa if Shizuka had committed suicide, but the Kurans were always very level-headed. The last King Kuran had only committed suicide after his children were settled and the Senate was set up. Well, two of his children, Hanabusa reminded himself. His eldest son Rido had been betrothed to Shizuka, but after the former monarch committed suicide, their engagement had stretched into a centuries long affair. Neither seemed like they were in a rush to enter into matrimony.

Hanabusa couldn't believe he hadn't thought about all of this earlier. It's all so twisted. He decided to do more research when he thought Kaname wouldn't be paying attention.

* * *

Zero stood with White Lily, waiting for Maria to arrive. They often used the barn as a starting point to spend time together. Zero honestly had no idea how the whole thing started. One minute, he's giving the girl a tour around campus and then the next he's her friend. He was amazed at how natural spending time with Maria felt. He never felt like he was talking to a vampire when he spent time with her. All of the other Night Class students really irritated him, but Maria seemed different somehow. He supposed it was due to her virtual exclusion from vampire society until this point.

Spending time with Maria was both very similar and very different than spending time with Yuki. Both girls were very energetic and positive people on the whole, but Maria also had a darker side, which Zero could relate to. Yuki had always been completely loved her whole life, even though she had lost her mother. Though Yuki had fears, she never let it affect her.

On the other hand, Maria sometimes grew very sad about her situation, bitter that she couldn't keep up with the other vampires. Maria felt that her parents were ashamed of having such a weak child, which made Maria feel guilty and hurt. Zero hated that she was afflicted with such a weak constitution. She often grew tired, so their walks often became just sitting and talking. Sometimes, they would have ranting sessions where they would just complain about whatever worried them, which always left Zero feeling very satisfied at the end. It was comforting to have someone simply listen to you without trying to comfort you or pity you.

"Zeeeero?" a familiar voice called. "Ah, there he is! I've found him at long last."

Zero turned around and saw Maria, but this woman standing in front of him didn't seem like the Maria he knew and cared for at all. In fact, the sense he got from the woman in front of him seemed very malevolent and also very familiar. Instinctively, his fingers twitched towards the Bloody Rose, his anti-vampire gun, but he didn't let them reach their intended destination. No matter what, he couldn't hurt Maria.

"Very good, Zero," Maria's voice said. "You've always been such a good boy. There's no way you can hurt me." Maria walked boldly up to him and ran her hand down Zero's chest and gripped his tie, yanking him forward. "I look forward to spending time with you," she murmured. Just as suddenly as she had appeared, she let go of his tie and vanished out of the door, with the words, "Bye-bye, Zero," echoing in the barn.

Zero shivered. He was certain that that person who had talked to him couldn't be Maria. The sense he had gotten from her…it was so like _that woman's_. Could it be her? Could it be Shizuka Hio who is controlling Maria's body?

* * *

"Okay. I cannot wait any longer," I say to Yori, looking at her from across the table from our favorite booth in the ice cream parlor. "What is your deal with Hanabusa? Spill."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Yori says evasively, not looking at me.

"I think you know exactly what I'm talking about," I respond. "First, you totally blushed when he appeared earlier. Second, you asked me not to let him come with us."

"I didn't ASK you not to let him come," she mumbles.

"But you made it clear that you didn't want him here," I retort. "Out with it! I told you my problems earlier. This is a two-way street."

"Okay, fine," Yori sighs. "I may have developed feelings for that imbecile." She pauses. "Well, actually, that probably means I'm the imbecile. What business do I have liking a guy who sleeps around?"

"Hold up. What makes you think he's sleeping around?" I ask, surprised.

"He's always flirting with girls. Do you honestly think it's just flirting?" Yori replies, sadly.

"Huh. I hadn't really thought about that, to be honest," I say, considering this.

"Well, you are pretty naïve," Yori says, laughing a little.

"Can you blame me? You know who my father is," I respond with a smile.

Yori chuckles. "Too true!" Then she grew serious. "So do you really think it's just flirting?"

Pausing for a few moments, I finally say, "Honestly, Yori, I think it is. I think Hanabusa is just playing the role of being the flirt, but in all of my patrols, I've never seen him coming out of a girl's room or with a girl somewhere on the grounds. If you've heard anything about him being with a girl, then it's probably just bragging without a grain of truth to it."

As I talk, I watch Yori's face closely. She seems to take in my words and considers them. Slowly, her face relaxes and seems relieved.

After a moment, I ask, "So, are you going to do anything about it? Hanabusa asks me about you all the time, but he seems like he has no idea how to proceed with you. He might need you to give him a sign that you're actually interested." I look at her seriously and smile a little. "After all, I am your roommate and I had no idea you even considered him. You hide your feelings too well, roomie."

Yori nods, "You're probably right, Yuki. Thank you." She pauses, a mischievous glint in her eye. "So what has he asked about me? You've certainly kept that quiet."

Taking another bite of my ice cream, I tell her about all the times Hanabusa has asked me about her.

* * *

"A ball, Kaname? My, my I must admit that I'm surprised at this suggestion." Kaien Cross peered over his desk at Kaname, who was seated in one of his desk chairs. He took a sip of his tea before continuing. "I know that you vampires have tons of soirees and parties, but I hadn't expected the idea to have one here."

Kaname crossed his legs and leaned back into his seat. "To tell you the truth headmaster, the Senate has been causing a lot of problems lately. Seiren informed me of whispers that this academy is a farce and that nothing good has come of it aside from the blood tablets." He sighed. "Which they say could easily have been a product of a vampires only academy. I think that having a campus-wide ball would be a sign of goodwill between the humans and vampires. My hope is that if it all goes well then the Senate might be appeased for a while longer."

Kaien considers this for a moment before replying. "Essentially, we need to prove that coexisting is both necessary and important. I like this idea and we'll have to have other similar events in the future."

Kaname nods, pleased. "I was hoping you'd say that, headmaster. I've brought some plans to discuss with you." As the headmaster and the pureblood discussed overall plans for the ball, Kaname felt that this ball would not only be a good move politically, but it would also make Yuki happy.

* * *

The news about the end of the semester ball spread with a speed that managed to surprise me, even though I know perfectly well how fast the rumor mill churns here. The idea excites me, but also puts a lot more pressure on me. For one thing, the Day Class students would be even more unruly. For another, someone came up with the crazy idea to have the class with the lowest grade point average be on cleaning and set up duty during the ball. My grades have been suffering this year because of my additional duties, which the class president so rudely reminded me.

"Yuki!" he had said, pulling me aside after class. "You better not ruin this for us. Your final grades last semester put us as the lowest scoring class, as the other class presidents so kindly remind me at every student government meeting." I had no idea how he discovered the final grade breakdown and I didn't really care to.

"Yeesh, Kaseumi," I had replied. "I'm sorry. I'll really try to study and not let everyone down."

"You better not, Yuki Cross," he had said, pointing his finger in my face. "If you keep me from getting my chance to dance with Ruka, I'll never forgive you." With that statement, he had turned around and stormed down the hall.

His words had really stung. Even though Yori consoled me afterwards and offered to help, I couldn't shake off the feeling that my grades would never recover in time. My grades have not improved from last semester and final exams will take place in just over a month. I'll really have to focus in order to score high enough on the exams to not pull down our class average.

That's why, rather than training or going on patrols, I'm holed up in the library trying to wrap my head around my math assignment. The moment the Night Class students went to class, I told Zero to take the patrols and went to the library. It's about time he works anyway.

My head soon begins pounding as I try to figure out the problems. I'm astoundingly far behind. The longer I stare at the problems, the less they make sense. How does Zero do it? His grades are flawless. He gets in trouble for napping in class as often as I do, so I just don't understand at all. Back when I had more time, my grades were fine. But now…

"You know you could probably ask the headmaster to get you a tutor." I jump, startled by Zero's sudden appearance. It's as if thinking about him summoned him here. He slides into the seat across the table. "After all, what's the point of having a headmaster for a father if he can't pull strings for you."

I glare at him. "You know perfectly well how he'll react. He overreacts about everything. He'll probably take me off the Disciplinary Committee."

"And that's a bad thing?" Zero asks.

"Of course it is! I might as well be on the committee by myself for as much as you show up." I start to feel guilty about the words I just said and then quell that feeling. He needed to know how I feel.

"Yuki, I…" Zero begins. I look at him expectantly. He takes a deep breath and continues. "I'm sorry, Yuki. I'm sorry for being a lousy partner. It's probably my fault you haven't had time to study. I've added to your burden by being caught up in my own problems."

I'm stunned. Zero rarely apologizes for anything and he never admits to his own faults. I reach out and feel his forehead. "Are you okay? I have to be dreaming because you're not running a fever." I remove my hand and pinch myself.

"Something's wrong with Maria." I look at him, waiting for him to continue, but he looks like he hadn't wanted to say that.

"Zero, tell me," I say.

"No, I don't want to add to your burden," he says moving to stand.

"No, tell me. I'm tired of people not thinking I can handle information." Kaname and my father love their secrets. I don't want Zero to shut me out either. "Besides, I'm not getting anything done." I look down at my blank assignment sheet. "I'm so far behind in math that I literally don't even know what we're doing in class right now."

Zero looks at my assignment sheet and smirks. "Okay, I'll tell you. I can help tutor you if you want."

I look at him, stunned yet again. "You'd do that?"

"It's the least I can do."

* * *

Filled with self-loathing, Kaname listens to Zero telling Yuki about his encounter with Maria and how much the sickly vampire had reminded him of Shizuka Hio. He hated himself for resorting to spying on Yuki, but he was worried when she ran back inside after the Night Class had made their way into the academy for lessons. He wasn't too surprised when she didn't show up for their walk, but it didn't stop him from wanting to see her.

 _This eavesdropping has got to stop_ , he chastised himself. _As soon as I get her to forgive me, I'll stop_. Somehow, he didn't even believe himself.

Seiren had told him that his informants had lost track of Shizuka Hio about a month ago. She kept his network of informants tightly run and well organized. Every single member was extremely well trained and skilled. But Shizuka Hio was a pureblood vampire and a very dangerous one.

He listened to Zero reach the end of his story and watched as he pulled Yuki's math assignment to him and began explaining the problems.

Kaname slipped away to find Seiren and get her to personally look into the Shizuka Hio case. If she was truly possessing Maria, he shuddered to think about what dangers that would place Yuki under.

* * *

Two weeks before the end of finals, I pack up my bags and head back to my room. Exhausted after a long night of studying, I finally drag myself to my room try to get a few hours of sleep. Maybe Zero was right. Maybe I should talk to my father. But that's something that needs to be carefully approached and after a good night's sleep. Not that I'll get enough sleep to ever be completely rested.

Sighing, enter my room and set my books on my desk. Since Yori is fast asleep, I keep the lights off and don't notice the slim package on my bed until I almost lay down on it.

A note rests on top and I open it and scan the contents. And then reread them.

 _Yuki, I know you're not happy with me right now. It hurts me more than you know that you are angry at me. I know you're not the type of girl who is easily swayed by gifts, but would you please accept this as a small peace offering? It would make me so happy to see you wear this at the ball._

"Oh, Kaname," I say softly, tracing my fingers over his words. "I'm not angry at you. I just wish you would talk to me."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I apologize for the major delay! The first semester of grad school was brutal and completely brain-frying. I'll try to get more writing done over this holiday break and over the semester, but I can't make any promises. Your reviews, favorites, and follows make me so happy and encourage me to keep going with this. Please take the time to review, if you can. It means so much to me to get feedback!


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note** : Here's a fluffy chapter for you! We need some Yuki/Kaname progression in the story, after all.

* * *

 **Chapter Thirteen**

Staring at myself in the mirror, I hardly recognize myself as I turn to look at myself from all angles. Kaname's "peace offering," as he called it, is a beautiful, burgundy ball gown. The design is lovely— sleeveless and hugs my body in all the right places. He even thought to include elbow length gloves, which finish the look beautifully. I'm not entirely sure I want to know how he knows my size so perfectly, so I push that thought from my mind.

My hair is absolutely hopeless though. It's always so long and unruly that I usually leave it down. At least the frizziness looks better with my hair down than when I wear it in a ponytail. I've never known how to properly style it. The side effect of living with men all my life, I suppose.

The door opens and I hear a gasp. "Yuki! You are breathtaking!" Yori squeals.

I turn around to smile at my roommate. "Thanks, Yori!"

"Where on earth did you get this dress? Did you go shopping without me?" Yori demands, coming closer and eying the fabric. Gently, she grazes her fingers along the silken gloves and brushes her hands along my waist, feeling the velvety material. Admiration of the dress's quality gleams in her eyes.

"No, actually, Kaname got it for me," I say, blushing furiously.

"Kaname? I thought you weren't talking to him," Yori says, sounding puzzled.

"I'm not. But he gave this to me as a 'peace offering,'" I walk over to my desk and pull out the note from a drawer. I hand Yori the note and she reads it.

"So, what are you going to do?" she asks finally.

"I'm going to dance with him. That doesn't have to involve talking you know," I say, trying to make a joke about the awkward situation I've found myself in.

The truth is, I have absolutely no idea what I want to say to him. I've missed him so much this past month, but I haven't been willing to back down and talk to him. I need to know the truth. But I also feel like I'm missing part of myself when he's not around.

Yori smiles wryly, not fooled for a second by my blasé response. "Oh, Yuki, what am I going to do with you?" she asks, shaking her head.

Not wanting to think about my precariously awkward situation for the moment, I say, "You could maybe help me with my hair. I have no idea what to do with it." I walk back to my mirror and run my fingers through it hopelessly.

"I can help with that! A perk of having younger sisters is that I've got quite a few hairstyles in my repertoire." Yori grabs my desk chair and sits me down in front of the mirror. She grabs a ton of hair products and tools from her side of the room and gets to work.

* * *

"I don't see why we have to go to this stupid event," Senri complains to Takuma as they get ready in the room they share. "Parties are always so dull and the girls at this one are just going to be a nuisance."

Takuma doesn't turn away from the mirror as he straightens his tie to respond, "Oh, come on, Senri! It will be a lot of fun. We hardly ever get to mingle with the other students." His eyes flick over to look at Senri's reflection. "Aren't you tired of seeing us all the time?"

"I'm happy with the friends that I have," Senri mutters, flipping through a comic at his desk, as the door to their room is thrown open. In a flash, Hanabusa dashes inside and throws himself onto Takuma's bed. Akatsuki follows slowly and leans against the wall near Senri's position at his desk.

"Hanabusa! I just made my bed. Have you no sense of decorum?" Takuma scolds, eyeing the new arrivals in the mirror.

Hanabusa merely stretches and replies, "I think you know the answer to that."

Takuma makes a huffing noise and turns to Hanabusa. "Well, now your suit is all wrinkled."

"Eh, I think the girls like the more rugged look anyway," Hanabusa replies unconcernedly.

"What are you two doing in here anyway?" Senri asks dryly, popping a Pocky stick in his mouth, not looking up from his comic.

Hanabusa swipes the box and pulls out a stick before throwing the box back to Senri. "Well, we finished getting ready and the girls told us that we couldn't visit them until we meet them in the foyer later to walk over to the ball." He shrugs. "You both are our best option. Besides, I was tired of being around Akatsuki's jitteriness." He looks at his cousin. "I don't see what the big deal is. You've seen Ruka all dressed up before."

Akatsuki glares at Hanabusa, but doesn't deign to respond. Instead, Takuma says, "Ah, but that's before they were dating. Seeing your significant other dressed up after you've been together for a while is very different." He gives Akatsuki a knowing look that Hanabusa did not appreciate one bit.

"And how do you know that? I wasn't aware that you'd ever dated anyone." Hanabusa sits up to study Takuma's expression.

Composing his face into a mild, expressionless mask, Takuma wasn't about to tell Hanabusa that he had dated his younger sister, Tsukiko, for a while. Both of them had been very careful to keep it hidden from both of their families and neither wanted that to change. The Aido and Ichijo family were political opposites. In addition, Hanabusa was very protective of his younger sisters. However, Takuma would never forget the first soiree they both attended after seeing each other for a few weeks.

"Eh, well, that's just what I've heard," Takuma says evasively, avoiding Hanabusa's gaze.

Not entirely satisfied by Takuma's response, but deciding not to pursue it further, Hanabusa lies back down on his friend's bed. He studies the ceiling and begins imagining the cute Day Students all dressed up for the ball. One face in particular appears in the forefront of his mind, shadowing out the rest. He hopes that she'll dance with him at least once.

* * *

"Wow, you actually look halfway decent," Zero says as Yori and I walk toward him. We decided to meet in the common area between our dorms before walking over to the ballroom in the main building. Yes, the Academy has a ballroom. We've had formal parties before now, but never involving both humans and vampires.

"Zero!" I scold, elbowing him in the ribs. "I was going to say that you look very handsome, but maybe I won't now."

"You know I'm just messing with you. Both of you look very nice." Coming from Zero, he just told us we're drop dead gorgeous. "Your hair looks different, Yuki. It makes you look older somehow."

Yori managed to make my hair cooperate into a very elegant updo involving a twist of many smaller braids in my hair. I have no idea how she managed both to do my hair and to curl her own. I pat my hair gently. The hair product has left my hair kind of crunchy.

"Thanks! Yori did it. She's a magician," I say, smiling broadly at my roommate.

"Ah, don't mention it. I had fun!" Yori replies happily. Together, we exit the Sun Dorm and walk to the main building.

We have to get to the ball early to help set up. My grades improved from last semester, but they were still low enough that our class tied with the class two years under us so that we're splitting the work. I think everyone in our year wanted to help with set up so that we'd be free for the rest of the night and, since we're older, we got to pull rank. Small blessings.

Yori, Zero, and I chat amicably as we hang up decorations. Mostly, we make Zero hang up the decorations while we assemble them and hand them up to him. After all, he is the tallest in our group.

Right as the clock strikes eight, our fellow students begin filing in. Zero excuses himself to go patrol the grounds to make sure that everything is running smoothly. He will monitor the Night Class students as they make their way over to the event. Just as a precaution.

Yori and I walk around the ballroom, both people watching and going on rounds to make sure that nothing is amiss. We admire the transformation that formalwear does to our peers. After our third lap around the room, we walk past a large group of students to find my father and Professor Yagari talking intently off to the side.

Before we can sneak past them, my father yells, "Yuki! You look so lovely! Come dance with your father!" And before I can say anything, my father has whisked me away, leaving an amused Yori standing next to Professor Yagari.

"Are you sure it's okay to leave Professor Yagari?" I ask, once we're out of earshot. "He seems disgruntled about something."

"Oh, Toga is always grumpy about something these days," my father says dismissively. "He's gotten so jaded over the years. I remember when he was a carefree little boy, running around the Association…" he trailed off, telling a story of a young Toga Yagari getting into trouble at the Hunter's Association Headquarters. Sometimes I forget just how old my father is. He doesn't bring it up much and he's careful not to talk about the distant past in general conversation.

When my father finishes his story, I ask, "What were you two talking about?"

"Oh, we were just discussing the Shizuka Hio case." Before I can say anything else, he continues, "But I don't want to talk about that right now. Way too serious for a party like this." He looks me over. "Now, you look beautiful Yuki, but I don't want you to forget about your duties tonight as a Disciplinary Committee member."

"I won't! Zero and I have worked out a plan and schedule for keeping things on track," I assure him and indicate my Disciplinary Committee armband that I'm wearing, despite the way it clashes with my outfit.

"Good! I knew I could count on you both," my father replies happily. "The success of this event is crucial to the acceptance of this academy in the vampire community."

"That's a lot of pressure. We won't let you down!" I had no idea that there was so much riding on this event. I had thought it was just a party to celebrate the end of term and also to celebrate the first year of the students coexisting.

As the music swells to signal the end of the song, my father spins me around, releases me, and then gives me a deep bow. "Thank you for this dance, Yuki. You've grown up so fast and you've become such a beautiful, capable woman." Silver lines his eyes as tears rise to the surface. "Your mother would be so proud."

"Oh, don't cry, please," I say, touched by the sudden emotion, but also uncomfortable. Awkwardly, I hug him and whisper, "She would be proud of you too. Of everything you've accomplished here." I step back, breaking the hug. "Now, I'm going to go find Yori." I add in an undertone, "Enjoy talking to Professor Grumpy."

My father lets out a laugh and I turn away from him, smiling, to look for Yori. I quickly spot her over at the snack table. I wonder how long she had lasted talking to Professor Yagari. I'm sure it was really awkward.

I'm halfway to Yori when the doors to the hall open. Collectively, the crowd of Day Class students turns and gasps as the Night Class students enter the ballroom.

* * *

"Bet you don't think this event is so stupid now, eh?" Takuma teases Senri, elbowing his roommate as the four vampires descend the staircase leading to the foyer. "Rima looks amazing!"

Senri seems at a loss for words as he looks at his best friend, waiting by the door and examining her nails. He and Rima have been modeling together for years, so he's seen her in many different outfits and costumes. But tonight she looks…different. More like a woman. A woman he finds himself extremely attracted to. Even though the others had long considered the two a couple, there had never been anything romantic between them. As he approaches her, all coherent thought leaves his brain.

Ruka and Rima stand beside each other, chatting quietly while they wait for the others to arrive. Rima's hair is no longer in their customary pigtails, but rather she wears it down and swept across one shoulder in loose waves. Her floor length navy dress complements her hair and accentuates her slender figure. Ruka wears a wrap around her arms along with a black dress that bears her shoulders. She wears her hair in a sophisticated updo, which shows her slender neck, normally covered by her long, mocha colored hair.

Akatsuki's eyes go immediately to her neck as he makes his way to her. His fangs ache a little at the sight. He reminds himself that they have to make an appearance to this ball, which suddenly seems like a nuisance. All he really wants to do is whisk Ruka up to his room and have his way with her. They still hadn't gone all the way yet. Not because they didn't want to, but because they both had roommates and hadn't found the opportunity. _Maybe we can find a secluded part of the grounds tonight…_ he muses.

The second she is within reach, his arm snakes around her waist and he pulls her close. "You look absolutely ravishing," he growls into her ear. "If this ball weren't so important to Lord Kaname, I'd steal you away right now."

Hanabusa pointedly clears his throat from behind them.

Beside Ruka, Senri has just reached Rima. "Your hair is down," he says dazedly. "I don't remember ever seeing it down."

Rima opens her mouth to scathingly reply when Takuma says, "Oh, hello, Kaname! Seiren! It looks like everyone except for Maria is here now."

Kaname slowly descends the stairs, followed by Seiren. Kaname wears a formal suit while Seiren wears a simple, high quality tunic, leggings, and knee-high boots.

Once Kaname and Seiren join the group, Kaname says, "Maria will not be joining us this evening. She is indisposed." Only Kaname and Seiren knew Maria's true identity and that he had requested that she not attend the ball tonight. Seiren would ensure that she not enter the ballroom. "Shall we go?"

* * *

Of course, all the vampires are achingly gorgeous. But I'm only interested in seeing one person. When I spot him, my heart stops and my eyes immediately find his. Desire floods my body as I take in his form in his suit and burgundy cravat, which is the exact same shade as my dress, I notice, my cheeks heating up a little. This was no accident.

The rest of the room ceases to exist as I find myself moving toward him, lost in the depths of his maroon-burgundy eyes. The exact same shade as mine. And the same shade as our outfits. No, this color coordination definitely was not an accident.

Before I can process anything else, I find myself standing directly in front of him. Wordlessly, he extends his hand.

And I place my palm in his.

He draws me so close that my body is inches from his. He moves his free hand to rest on my back, slowly bringing it to rest against my lower back. He's so much taller than I am, but I place my hand on his shoulder as he laces our fingers together and extends them out. Still not speaking, he steps forward and begins to lead me in a waltz.

Neither of us speak as we gaze into each other's eyes. Somehow, words seem completely unnecessary at this moment.

I don't notice the songs change, so we could have been dancing for an hour or only five minutes. All that exists in this moment are the two of us. The ballroom melts away as we dance. It's just us.

The longer I look at him, the mask he normally wears slips away and I can see the tenderness in his eyes as he looks at me.

Suddenly, I find that I can't maintain his gaze, my insecurities rising again to the surface. What can he see in me? I'm just a weak human. My lifespan is like that of a flower to him.

I don't even notice we're outside until everything is dark around us.

* * *

Even though everyone was inside the ballroom, Zero did not feel like going inside. He felt absolutely no need to celebrate. Not when he suspected that the woman who brutally murdered his parents had possessed the woman he had come to care for. He let his feet carry him in his patrol route through the grounds.

After over a month of trying to figure out a solution, he had still come up with nothing. The simplest solution would be to let the Bloody Rose handle it. One quick shot through the heart and she was finished. But this was Maria, not just any vampire. He could not act, if it were to kill his friend.

A couple of weeks ago, Hanabusa had approached him about Maria. "You have a special bond with her," he had said. "A bond soaked in blood. Only you can know if she's being possessed by _that woman_." Both men had agreed to investigate the situation further, but neither had come up with a solution. Only purebloods know the scope of their powers, even a noble vampire like Hanabusa did not know how Shizuka Hio could be controlling Maria's body.

They both agreed that since the Kurenais are related to the Hios that the familial ties might enable possession, but neither knew what happened to Shizuka's original body or if Maria still lived. Shizuka's consciousness could have completely erased Maria's. Zero gritted his teeth. He refused to believe that's what had happened to her.

Aside from Hanabusa, Zero had not confided his worries with anyone, not even Yuki. Zero wanted to talk to her about the Maria situation, but he just never found the right time to mention it. Especially since most of the time they had spent together this past month involved him tutoring her in all their subjects. Really, he had no idea how she could have gotten so far behind. He knew he was to blame for a good bit of it, he had certainly been avoiding his Disciplinary Committee responsibilities. What's more, Yuki seemed so distracted all the time, what with her studies and the secretive glances she stole at Kaname when she thought he wasn't looking. She hadn't told him, but Zero knew that they had not been going on their nightly walks this past month.

He senses her presence a moment before he hears her voice. In a fluid motion, he has the Bloody Rose out and aimed at her.

"Zeeeero. You've been avoiding me," says the woman who was once Maria Kurenai, stepping out onto the path in front of him. She eyes the gun. "Tsk, tsk, Zero. You would never shoot me. I am your master." Raising her voice, she commands, "Put the gun away, Zero."

Every fiber of him fights the urge to follow her commands. It's as if the blood in his veins surges to obey her. He draws upon every last bit of strength he has to act as if her command does not affect him. "You are not my master," he spits, not moving the gun an inch, even though he can feel his energy draining. "You're nothing but a bloodsucking leech who takes away everything."

The vampire studies Zero for a moment. "I see that coming here in her body has lessened my powers of control over you." She turns away. "No matter. I'll have to resort to Plan B to convince you to help me."

Before Zero can say another word, she vanishes into the darkness. Mutely, he reaches into his jacket and swallows the entire contents of the box containing his blood tablets.

* * *

Yori watches as her best friend begins to dance with Kaname Kuran. She smiles to herself, knowing that Yuki will not be looking her way for a while tonight. _He better not break her heart,_ she thinks. _Pureblood vampire or no, no one hurts my friend and gets away with it._

She had watched as they had walked towards each other, ignoring absolutely everyone in the room. She found herself both overjoyed that her friend had found such love, but also sad. _I'm going to miss her. She's going to leave with him someday and I won't get to see her nearly as much_.

She could only hope that she would find a love like that someday.

"Why, hello, Sayori. Whatcha doing standing all by yourself?" Suppressing a wry smile, Yori looks over her shoulder to find Hanabusa Aido leaning against a pillar only a few steps away from her. She notices with a small amount of satisfaction that he was completely ignoring the gaggles of gossiping girls strategically standing nearby, trying in vain to capture his attention.

"I could ask you the same thing," she replies, turning to face him. She walks closer and lifts up the plate and glass she holds. "I'm enjoying the refreshments. Our class had to help set up and I soon discovered that I had worked up an appetite." Coming to stand right beside him, she hands him her glass. "Hold this would you?" Mutely, he takes her drink and watches as she takes a bite of the food from her plate.

"I confess, I hadn't thought out the logistics of having both a drink and a plate at the same time." She was babbling, but she found his presence had left her nervous. She couldn't believe she'd handed him her drink. To her relief, he didn't seem too put off by it.

He gives her a small smile and pointedly looks at the drink in his hand, directing her gaze. She follows his line of vision and notices a faint, blue glow emitting from his fingers. The glass becomes clouded.

"What did you do?" she asks in a hushed voice.

"Don't worry," he replies, matching her tone. "I just cooled it off for you."

Yori blinks. "Oh. That was thoughtful of you. Thank you."

"Anything for you," he says, winking.

They stand in companionable silence as Yori finishes her food, watching the figures dancing around the room. Yori steals glances at the man standing next to her. He looks very dashing in his dark gray suit and light blue tie that matches his eyes perfectly. _How vain of him,_ she thinks. _I'm sure he knows how good he looks_. Suddenly, she finds herself very annoyed, remembering all the reasons she never paid attention to his flirtation with her before now. _He's just a playboy, just trying to make me one of his conquests._

She turns away, quickly going to throw her plate away. Once she turns back around to walk back to Hanabusa, she sees that he has not moved from his spot, but his eyes are on her, watching her approach. _He's still ignoring all of those girls. Why is that?_ She walks slowly, giving him time to turn away and grab one of the others girls and to dance with her. Someone more beautiful and poised than Yori. But he doesn't move. He just leans against that pillar, watching her.

When she's standing next to him, he reaches out and hands her the drink he had still been holding. She takes it, she had completely forgotten about her drink. She takes a sip. The temperature is perfectly cool and refreshing.

Before she can stop herself, she smiles at him. The wide grin that lights his face in return makes Yori feel weak at the knees.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** As I began to write this chapter, I realized I have a lot more that I wanted to say! So, keep an eye out for part 2 of the ball and then another chapter about what happens after. Hope you'll enjoy it as much as I've enjoyed writing it!


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

She takes his breath away the moment the doors open and he sees her standing in the crowd of the other students. No else matters. No one else exists as far as he's concerned.

As he gazes at the woman he loves, he knows that no matter what he had told Kaien Cross, this whole event was a farce. A farce to have an excuse to wrap his arms around her small, delicate waist.

 _No, she's not delicate. She's not delicate at all_. He has to force himself to remember how much strength the tiny member of the Disciplinary Committee possessed. He knows how hard she works to balance everything: her duties as a prefect and guardian, her schoolwork, and her personal training to be as strong as possible.

 _She's a marvel. A marvel that I don't deserve in the slightest_.

He stands in front of her now, his feet had taken him to her of their own accord. Finally, all was right in the world. They are together. Just for this moment.

He extends his hand to her. He remembered her vow not to speak to him, but this is not speaking. It is dancing.

To his intense relief, she takes his hand — her small fingers wrap around his and warm him to his very core.

Carefully, he pulls her close and slides his hand to wrap around her waist. Oh to touch her! After such a long time of not being able to talk to her. Never breaking eye contact, they begin to dance.

He had never intended to fall in love with her. He had always planned on watching her from a distance, protecting her and fulfilling his promise. But as she had grown up, she grew into such a kind-hearted and passionate ray of sunshine. Seeing the world through her eyes is the most beautiful existence imaginable.

 _I love you, Yuki. I wish I could tell you that, but you would hate me if you knew the truth._

Her gaze falls to the floor, making him feel an instant sense of loss. Her eyes dart around the room, not seeming to take in anything. All he understood was that her eyes were no longer on his.

Quickly, he begins to spin them closer and closer to the empty balcony, where they might have a little privacy. Or, at least, the illusion of privacy.

They emerge onto the balcony and he stops dancing, but does not let her go.

"Yuki? I can't stand this silence anymore. Tell me what's wrong," Kaname says, trying fruitlessly to get her to meet his eyes. When she does not, he pulls her to the railing and sits down, his eyes level with hers. This distance away from her pains him, but he knows instinctively that they desperately need to talk. Come what may.

He keeps one hand on her waist as he brings his other to cup her face, forcing her to look at him.

"What's wrong, Yuki?" he says, wishing he could read her mind. _Or drink her blood_. He instantly quells that thought. No, it's not possible. It will never be possible.

She dabs her fingers at her eyes. "I'm sorry. I've completely ruined everything."

He grabs her hand and kisses her fingers. He tastes the salt from her tears. "Never ever apologize, Yuki. You have nothing to be sorry about."

She shakes her head. "Sorry. I mean, okay. My insecurities ruin everything. I told myself over and over to be strong and to have more faith in myself. We were having such a lovely time too…" she trails off.

Kaname waits patiently, gently rubbing her back in what he hoped to be a consoling manner. He sensed that silence would be the best route at this moment.

Her eyes don't meet his when she begins to speak again. "I know I told you that I wouldn't speak to you again until you gave me some answers. I meant that. But over this past month, I missed you so much. I was overjoyed to see you tonight." She pauses and takes a deep breath. "I long for the truth not just because I want to know the truth, but because I need to know the truth. Otherwise, there's no way for me to possibly understand why you'd ever want to be with someone like me. A weak, tiny, insignificant human."

Before he could suppress it, Kaname growled at her words, his eyes flashing red. "Don't ever describe yourself that way, Yuki. Don't believe that for an instant."

"What else can I think? At first I thought I was nothing more than a fleeting interest. Sometimes I still think that. But other times, it seems like I mean more to you." She steps back, holding her face in her hands. "I just don't know what to think anymore."

Kaname sighs. "Yuki, let's go back inside and dance for a while longer. Then, when it's over, come with me and I'll tell you the truth." He brushes his hand along her cheek. "Does that sound okay?"

She takes his hand in both of hers, leaning into his touch. Her eyes close for a moment, seeming to savor the contact. All too soon, she opens her eyes again and nods.

* * *

Akatsuki rolled his eyes at the flock of girls Takuma was entertaining. _He really has turned up the charm tonight. I hope he doesn't plan on eating any of them_. He was really glad that Hanabusa seemed to be enjoying talking to Sayori Wakaba. That meant he would be leaving him and Ruka alone. For now.

When they had entered the ballroom, Ruka had immediately excused herself and had vanished into the crowd. It puzzled Akatsuki, but he didn't worry about it too much. He trusted her. That didn't mean he didn't want her to hurry up though.

He keeps an eye on his fellow Night Class students. Lord Kaname has gone out on the balcony with Yuki Cross. What Lord Kaname saw in that girl, he had no idea. She was cute enough, but he couldn't see anything extraordinary in her to turn the head of a pureblood vampire, especially one descended from royalty. Deciding not to let it trouble him, he gazes over to the nearby corner. Senri and Rima stand together, not talking and looking bored. _There's nothing new about that. They hardly ever deign to socialize with anyone. It's saying something about their loyalty to Lord Kaname that they're here at all._

He restarts his survey of his classmates. Takuma now seems to be extending a hand to a star-struck girl who had fallen on the floor. _The poor girl. She doesn't have a chance when he has that charm turned up_.

It takes Akatsuki a minute to find Hanabusa again. He watches, surprised, as he spins Sayori around the dance floor. He had thought the girl wanted nothing to do with his roommate.

 _Where did Ruka go?_ Akatsuki was getting tired of waiting for her. She had been gone for quite some time now. Right as the thoughts enter his head, slender fingers intertwine his and he feels a soft pressure as Ruka rests her head on his shoulder. He's surprised at the sweet gesture, but he feels very content and happy because of it. A smile tugs at his lips as he stands with the woman he loves.

* * *

"Senri? Are you going to say anything?" Rima looks at him, both slightly amused and slightly impatient.

Senri cannot think of anything to say. So far this evening, he had only made that stupid comment about her hair and now he has no idea how to begin to talk to her. Usually, conversation between them felt effortless. He begins to feel increasingly awkward and feels the need to do _something_. Besides standing there staring at her blankly and feeling like an idiot. _Maybe dancing will help_ , he thinks. _At least, that way, I have something else to focus on._ Before he can think better of it, he extends his hand to her.

For a moment, he thinks she won't take his hand. Her eyes bore into his, trying to gauge his reaction and thoughts.

Then, to his intense relief, she takes his hand.

Before he can think better of it, he draws her close. Closer than he's ever danced with her before.

"Really, Senri," Rima says. "You're acting so strangely." But her face gives away her pleasure by reddening a little. He begins to lead her across the dance floor, his motions strong and deliberate.

Music had always been a source of comfort and strength to Senri. To please his mother, he had learned to play the piano. The moments when he would play always calmed his mother down from her fits of madness and it made him happy to make her happy. The idea that he could help her in this small way empowered Senri when he normally felt so powerless to help her.

And now, listening to the familiar classical music, Senri begins to feel his earlier anxiety abating and began humming along with the music. Rima smiles at the sound, but does not say anything.

As the music transitions to a slower piece, he buries his face in her hair, brushing his nose against her ear. "You look beautiful, Rima," he murmurs.

She's glad he can't see her blush and the smile that crosses her face at his words. "You're messing up my hair," she says, feigning annoyance.

He pulls his head back and gazes at her, noticing the corners of her mouth turning up in amusement.

He gives her a huge smile. A smile that he reserved only for her.

* * *

"Aren't you ever off duty?" Seiren turns to find the vampire hunter masquerading as a teacher standing behind her. She inclines her head in greeting and continues her patrol of the ballroom, walking around the balcony to have a clear view of both the ground level and the outdoors through the large windows. He keeps pace with her, walking by her side.

She had been aware of his presence before he spoke to her. He had come up here with the headmaster to keep an eye on things. She was used to his presence by now. Both wary of the other side's actions, they had long had an unspoken agreement not to talk to the other while patrolling.

It seemed like he was bored enough to talk to her tonight. But she could not be bothered with keeping Toga Yagari entertained.

The heady atmosphere in the ballroom was dangerous. Even Lord Kaname seemed affected by it. She had kept an eye on him as he went outside with Yuki Cross and then watched as they returned, continuing to dance. He still had not felt the need to tell her about Yuki Cross, but she trusted her master. However, she didn't know if she trusted the girl yet.

"It is my honor to serve Lord Kaname in this way," she replies, not answering his question. She had no interest in balls or frivolity. Her family had long been servants of the Kurans. It was her duty and life's purpose to devote hers to his. Even if she had not sworn an oath to serve him, she would do so anyway. Not that it was any of this Yagari's business.

Yagari studies her. She does not like the way he's looking at her, evaluating and calculating. After a few moments, he says, "I've gotten a good read on most of the other Night Class students. They all have a health level of respect for Kaname Kuran and seem loyal. But you…" He pauses, shaking his head. "I don't understand your motivations. Or how and why he can ask so much from you. He's obviously down there enjoying himself with the headmaster's daughter. I don't suppose you'll tell me what that's about either?" Seiren remains silent. "I didn't think so. The headmaster keeps most information regarding his daughter very close to the belt. Most people would think he over shares information about her, but if you know how to listen, he never actually says anything at all."

Despite herself, Seiren is impressed at the levels of observation this hunter possessed. Most hunters she had interacted with had been skilled enough, but largely mediocre. She knew that Toga Yagari and Kaien Cross were the two exceptional hunters left in the Order, now that the Kiryus had been murdered. Still, she hadn't known what to expect from either before she had met them. Yagari's classes were nothing exciting—a vampire hunter teaching ethics was laughable. But she had always known there was more to him than met the eye. She decides this could be an opportunity to learn more about him, to gather information in case he ever becomes a threat.

"Lord Kaname has earned my loyalty," she replies. "I have sworn to serve him in whatever way he requires."

"You've sworn to serve him in whatever way? My, my, I hope he doesn't take advantage of that," Yagari chuckles, running his eyes up and down her body, trying to get a reaction from her. He succeeds. Her face reddens in anger.

"I should rip out your tongue for suggesting that," Seiren snaps, glaring at him.

"Okay, okay. I didn't mean it and you know I didn't," Yagari says, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "Like I said, I'm trying to figure you out."

Seiren considers revealing that she's planning on learning more about him, but decides not to give him the satisfaction. He just pissed her off too much with his improper implications. Instead, she says, "Well don't," and teleports herself outside.

Time to patrol the outside area. And to make sure that Maria was not getting into trouble.

* * *

Before long, Akatsuki can't stand it. He draws Ruka in front of him and asks, "Where did you go for so long?"

To his surprise, she looks away. "You're going to laugh at me."

"No, I won't," he says reassuringly.

"Oh, you will." She sighs before continuing. "That boy, Kaseumi, has been hounding me this past week to dance with him. I went to get it over with, so I could have the rest of the night with you."

"You danced with him? But I didn't see you…" Akatsuki says, not feeling very amused.

"That's because I didn't want anyone to see. It was so painfully awkward. I don't know him at all, but he was so determined…" she trails off, still avoiding his eye.

He cups her cheek. "Ruka, while I'm not thrilled that you didn't tell me and that you went to such lengths to deceive me and everyone else, that was a nice thing for you to do. I know how hard it is for you to interact with people you don't know."

She gives him a small smile. "I didn't think about how tiring it would be to create an illusion for the whole ballroom."

"Well, let's go get you some food. You're going to need your energy for what I have in mind for you later," Akatsuki says, a wicked glint in his eye.

* * *

"Did I tell you how absolutely radiant you look tonight?" Kaname asks, easily spinning me before pulling me back closely. Our bodies are flush against each other now. Every time he spins me out, he brings me back closer to him.

"Thank you, Kaname," I reply. "Yori did my hair. I'm absolutely hopeless at styling it. I would never have been able to pin my hair as securely as she did and have my hair still be presentable." I'm kind of babbling. I've never been good at taking compliments and the way he's looking at me makes me feel very exposed and vulnerable. Like he's seeing right through me.

He leans close and whispers in my ear, "I'd really like to take you back to my room and take out all of those hair pins." A thrill runs down my spine at his words, making me shiver with anticipation. He pulls back. "Your hair looks very lovely, but I love it how you normally wear it. I confess that I often imagine running my fingers through it."

His hair reaches his shoulders, so it's not hard for me to move my fingers a little and stroke the ends of his hair. It's so soft. Softer than a man's hair had any right to be. I always get a little surge of envy when men have nicer hair than I do. It's something irrational and stupid, but it irritates me that they can have such perfect hair and seemingly put such little work into it.

"Are you ready to go, Yuki?" he asks, his voice a little breathless. "We have a lot to discuss."

Coming to the moment of truth has me less ready than I anticipated I would be. I start to wish we could just dance all night.

Instead of voicing these thoughts, I nod.

As we walk arm in arm to the exit, I notice that the crowd has thinned considerably. Most people have left for the night, taking advantage of the temporarily abolished curfew.

"Yuki! Kaname!" I groan. Panic seizes me as I wonder how long my father had been watching us. And what he had seen. We stop and turn to face him.

"How do you think the night went? I think it went splendidly. You two, of course, were the prime example of interspecies cooperation." He speaks quickly, not giving either of us a chance to respond. "Though I am slightly disappointed, Yuki, that you didn't take your role as a Disciplinary Committee member very seriously tonight." I hang my head, abashed. "But hopefully Zero had it covered tonight. Besides, it seems like things went swimmingly." He turns away. "Have a nice night, you too!"

I'm surprised that he didn't comment very much on our dancing, but I drag Kaname out the door before he can come back and say anything else to us.

We stroll through the grounds, neither wanting to lose the magic of the party. All too soon, we would have to discuss serious matters.

Once we lose sight of the main building, Kaname grips my arm tighter and pulls me off the path into a clump of trees. We're completely hidden in the trees, I can't see the path when I turn my head back around. While I'm still looking behind us, Kaname's hands go on either side of my hips and he lifts me until my back is against a tree trunk. He presses his body against mine, supporting my weight as my feet dangle in the air. Our eyes are level now and his hands grip my wrists and push them against the tree trunk above my head.

I have a moment to look at the hungry look in his eyes before his lips cover mine.

The other times I had been kissed were overly soft and wet. Zero had kissed me that one time. Then there had been that boy who transferred to another school a year ago. Neither had been particularly enjoyable because we were young and didn't know anything.

But Kaname certainly knows what he is doing. At first, the kiss is light and sweet, but quickly the kiss deepens. His lips dominate mine and his tongue gains entry to my mouth, possessing mine. He wordlessly makes it exceptionally clear who I belong to. Tentatively at first, I respond, reaching out my tongue to meet his in a dance. He groans against me.

Because my hands are trapped, most of my focus is on the kiss. My body responds to the feel of his, all of my sensory input going into overload. But, the only part of my body I can move is my mouth.

I press my face closer to his, bringing us even closer. I try to remind myself to breathe, but when his tongue moves like that…

My head starts to spin and feel light. Kaname pulls back and brings my hands down to wrap around his neck. He rests his forehead against mine. "Breathe, Yuki," he whispers, also breathless. I'm gasping for air, the fact that I almost blacked out due to lack of oxygen finally sinking in.

I tighten my arms around his neck, bringing him closer as I try to catch my breath.

When I can speak, I ask, "Where did that come from?"

Carefully, he lowers me to the ground and takes my hand. "I wanted to kiss you just once. Before you hate me forever." He holds up his hand as I start to protest that I could never hate him. He continues, "I'm also of the opinion that you need to be kissed. And often. By someone who knows how." He brushes his lips against mine, just for a moment and then he's leading me back onto the path. It's not fair that he can kiss me anytime he wants, but I can't reach him easily enough to reciprocate.

"Hopefully, once you hear what I have to tell you, I'll be the one who fulfills that responsibility. But you deserve to know now so that you can leave me while you still can and find the right person."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** As you may have noticed, I love to make references. Most recently, a certain line I love from Rhett Butler. If you pick up on my references, four for you Glenn Coco. You go Glenn Coco.


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